What Becomes of the Brokenhearted?
by aeriat
Summary: Jake caught Bella before she could jump, but that doesn’t mean Victoria didn’t catch up with her. And when Edward’s resolve finally breaks, what will he do when he returns to Forks to find his love has vanished without a trace?
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: This is my first fanfiction, so I'm winging it! I am sure I have missed some typos and grammatical errors, so please, feel free to point them out to me!**

**Also, I am not Stephenie Meyer. If I am, my parents have been lying to me for a very long time, and I have must amnesia.**

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_BPV_

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

I could hear the sound of my bathroom sink's faucet leaking through the wall. The constant noise of the water droplets falling and hitting the drain gave me something to focus on, something other than the painful hole that I could still feel in my chest. Jake wasn't there-he was out running patrol for Sam so that Sam could go to Harry Clearwater's funeral- so I didn't even have his comforting presence to keep the nightmares away. For a while they seemed to be getting better, but now I was dreading going to sleep. I didn't want to have my nightmares of Edward, and now the nightmares of Victoria that would surely be mixed in. The Pack had spotted her earlier today by the cliffs, but by the time they caught onto her scent, she had taken off into the water. Sam didn't want the wolves to go after her, because it was too dangerous. What on earth had I been thinking, trying to jump off that damn cliff?! I shuddered as I remembered that I had been quite ready to jump into that water, just to hear Edward's voice again. To feel as if he cared whether I lived or died. Jake had caught me, bursting out of the forest, right as I was about to fling myself over the edge.

_Flashback_

"_What the hell were you THINKING BELLA?" Jake yelled, fury evident in his every word. "You could have been killed! Didn't you even look at the water? It's turning into a hurricane out there! You might have drowned! Not to mention Victoria!" I blanched at the name; the name that had been haunting me for months._

"_What do you mean Victoria? What happened?"_

"_We caught her scent a little while ago, and we chased her all the way to the cliffs. We almost had her too, but right as we caught up with her, she jumped into the ocean and took off through the water. Sam didn't want us to follow her since we wouldn't be able to smell her. That and the whole vampire-who-doesn't-need-to-breath-and-can-stay-underwater-forever thing." Jake said, chuckling darkly at the end. "I just can't believe you were going to jump Bella! I told you to wait for me! You could have died! That's the last thing Charlie needs right now."_

"_Jake, what are you talking about?" I interjected. His tone of voice scared me. Something sounded very, very wrong._

"_Bella, Harry Clearwater had a heart attack earlier today. They tried to get him to the hospital in time, but it was too late... Harry's gone." Jake's eyes started watering, his face contorted with the effort to keep himself from crying. _

"_Oh, Jake." I cried, hurling myself into his arms, attempting to comfort him. "I'm sorry! I didn't know!"_

"'_S'okay." Jake answered, wrapping his arms around me, and pressing his face into my hair. "I just really feel bad for Seth and Leah. Seth's only 14, and Leah… Well, life's screwed with her enough already. Doesn't really need this on top of everything else." _

_We stood there for a long time. I don't know how long it was; it could have been hours, or just a few minutes. We just stood there, taking comfort in each other's arms. The sky was a steely gray, the waves crashing a hundred feet below us on the base of the cliff. Slowly the storm began to pick up, whipping the wind around my face, and making me even colder than I already was. _

_"Come on Bella, let's go home" Jake murmured, pulling my arms from around him. He took my tiny, freezing hand in his big, warm one, and we set off back through the forest. Back to his family. Back to my family. Back to… our family. In that moment, something changed within me. It was as if my world shifted on its axis… I don't know if I finally let go of… Edward, or if I finally embraced Jake, maybe it was both. But in that moment, I knew I could survive this. I could live happily with Jake, for the rest of my life. Yes, it would never be the same as my love for Edward, but it was enough. Enough for now, and enough for the rest of my life._

_End flashback _

I didn't notice that tears were running down my face, until one of the stray ones fell off my cheek and hit my hand. I tried to pull myself together; after all, this wasn't going to help my "no nightmares" strategy. I needed to find a book, I needed to do homework, I needed to find something to do, anything to help keep mind off of Victoria. I began to drag myself out of bed, flinging my feet over the side. That's when I heard _it. _

There was a light scratching on my window, the thunderstorm outside almost completely covering the noise. Almost. I might have missed it if my senses weren't on high alert from everything that had happened today. But they were on high alert. And I heard it. I froze in my tracks, halfway through getting off the bed, my back to the window. As the lightning flashed, I saw a shadow outlined on the wall. The rain pelted down in torrents, but through it all, I thought I heard the soft click of my window opening, then swiftly closing. Did I want to turn around? Did I want to watch as death came for me? My heart pounded in my chest, threatening to burst right through my ribs, and my hands began to break out into a cold sweat. I had had a Victoria scare like this before, but it had turned out to be Jake. I didn't think it was Jake this time. The only thing I could be thankful for was that Charlie wasn't home. He was still over at the Clearwater's, trying to help Sue. He might be spared from the dark fate I was soon to face. I always knew I would die like this, and I was ready, but I wouldn't go out without a fight. He wouldn't want that.

"Hello, Bella," a high, girlish voice came out of the shadows. "I've come at last, you see. Just as you knew I would. Those stupid dogs couldn't stop me forever… And now I'm here. I've been waiting a long time." I slowly turned around, forcing my feet to move, frozen in fear. As I turned around, there was a flash of lightning, and for a split second I could see her demonic face, serene now that she had reached her target, her burgundy eyes glittering in anticipation. "Where's your Edward now, little human? I assumed he would have come rushing in to save you by now," Victoria drawled, glancing around the room as if she expected him to jump out of my closet. Even though she was looking around the room, she didn't miss the flash of pain that went across my face, at the mention of his name. "Oh! That struck a cord!" she cackled, maliciously. "What has happened to him, my little pet?" She stalked over to me, taking my shuddering face into her icy hands, forcing me to look into her eyes. "Did he run away? This won't be nearly as fun if he doesn't intend on taking revenge! That's my favorite part!" In her glee, she grabbed my throat, holding me by the neck over her head. I tore at her arms and flailed my legs furiously, trying to get her to drop me. If she didn't let go of me soon, I would suffocate! In desperation, I ripped at her arms with my fingernails, but my stupid, weak, human hands did nothing to her stone ones.

"He left me," I managed to choke out, the hole in my chest ripping painfully. The agony on my face, not just from lack of air, caused Victoria to pause.

"He left you? I thought you were his mate!" This revelation seemed to startle her. It startled her so much that she dropped me to the ground. Had I broken some unspoken vampire law? Why did she sound so astonished? I gasped for air, the oxygen flowing into my grateful lungs.

"Yes. He said he was… bored with me," I rasped, clutching my throat.

"Well, well, well… This IS a turn of events. He didn't deem you worthy of immortality?" Victoria sneered. Suddenly she yanked me up from the floor, grabbing my face again, forcing me to look at her, her eyes flicking back and forth between mine, searching for any hint of a lie.

"No," I sobbed. The pain in my throat and the pain in my chest aching as one. It was all I could manage to say.

"Well then, that changes things… I did intend to kill you, to cause him the same anguish he caused me, but if he has moved on… There's only one thing to do."

That's when she grabbed my neck, and sank her razor sharp teeth into my throat.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow guys! Thank you so much! I was really blown away by the reviews of the last chapter. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! Thank you so, so, so, much! After that, I am going to start reviewing people's stories more, because it's really one of the best feelings in the world, getting a good review. **

**Also, I am in desperate need of someone to edit for me, so if you are a grammer nazi, are a registered beta, ****and are interested in beta-ing, shoot me a PM!  
**

**Disclaimer: I am not Stephenie Meyer. I do however want to go to pigfarts. It's on mars.**

**Now, on with chapter 2!  
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EPOV

_Faster! Faster! Run! She's waiting for you! _

That's what my frenzied brain kept repeating over and over. My own personal mantra. I was going back to Forks. Well, not so much "going" as running at breakneck speeds. This was no lazy, meandering trip, stopping along the way to smell the roses. Never had my feet moved so swiftly. I was going back, and she would be waiting for me and the end of the journey. I was running back to my home, back to the one place that we had settled that felt truly… right. That place where the axis of my universe rested. Where the love of my existence resided, and blessed the population with her company. Never had I been more jealous of the residences of Forks. They could see her, got to interact with her, the kindest, gentlest, most wonderful human being who ever lived. What I wouldn't give to be in their mundane place, right now.

_ You are within a few moments of reaching the love of your life. Everything will be right again._

I sighed, imagining that beautiful moment when I would reach her. I would leap into her window, landing silently on her threadbare carpet. Even though she didn't hear me, she would sense that I was there, and would know I had come back to her, my angel. She would turn around and see me, and then run into my arms, her strawberry scent overwhelming my senses. And all would be right with this world. At least, that's what I prayed would occur.

My tenuous resolve had finally broken, and I couldn't bear to be apart from her any longer. I thought I could be strong; thought I could stay away from her, and keep her safe. But I could not. I was foolish, and selfish, and weak. And never had I been gladder to be selfish! I think I must have unconsciously decided to come back to her several weeks ago, as I had been making my way further north from my hole in Brazil. It wasn't intentional, but slowly, bit by bit, I had been drifting back home. Back to her. My long dead heart seemed to beat once again, frantic to be closer to Bel-… to I was going back to her, was I not? That's why I was running now, running faster than I had ever run before. I was going back to her! I could say her name without agony ripping through my chest! I didn't have to suffer without her any longer!

_ Bella… _

I tested it out in my mind. It felt wonderful. I hadn't even been able to think of her name for the past 7 months… The pain had been too much. That's how pitiful I was.

"Bella…" I choked the beautiful word softly under my breath. "Bella." I said it a little louder… "Bella! Bella, Bella, BELLA!" I yelled at the top of my lungs! It felt so wonderful to be able to say that again, I could have done back flips. I was a giddy mess, practically vibrating with excitement, I was turning into Alice! It was a good thing I was in the wilds of Washington, where no one could see, or hear, me. I must have looked ridiculous! A ratty vampire, sprinting through the woods, and yelling like a madman? I just couldn't hold it inside anymore! I couldn't wait for the moment when I would run to her window, throwing myself inside her house, and then groveling at her feet, begging her to take me back. And she would! And we would live the cliché happily ever after.

_ She's going to take me back! She will take me back… Won't she? _

Slowed my frantic pace, the horror of this realization sinking in. What if she didn't take me back? Of course it was no less than I deserved, foul, vile, monster that I was. My lips turned up in disgust, just thinking about what I had done to my love.

_ She has to take me back. She can't turn me away. Please, don't turn me away Bella. I can't exist without you any longer. Please Bella… Please. _

I took off again, like a speeding bullet through the green, rain soaked forests of Washington. I would be there within a few minutes, and everything would fall into place. I didn't know what was I was going to do about her mortality, but at that moment, it didn't matter. I didn't care about anything, as long as I was in her arms again. Soon. I was broken from my reverie by a vibrating in my pocket. Damn cell phone. I pulled it out to see who was interrupting me at this most critical of moments. It was Alice. Of course. She would have seen my decision to run back to Bella, although God knows what she wanted now.

"What?!" I yelled into the evil silver piece of technology.

"Edward! It's Alice!" My sister sobbed on the other end of the line. Or at least, sobbing as much as soulless demons could.

"Alice?" Something was wrong. Something was extremely wrong. "Alice, what's happened? What's the matter?" I tried to keep my words even, but panic was bubbling up in my chest.

"Edward, stop! Don't go any further! Don't go to Forks! I have something to tell you. I just had a vision of you going back, and… Edward… Oh, Edward, don't go back! She's…" Alice began to sob, unable to say anything.

"Alice, you have to tell me what has happened. Now! Is it Esme? Carlisle? What is going on?" Each moment that Alice didn't tell me why she had called, was a moment a million different, equally horrifying, scenarios went through my mind. There was only "she" Alice could be talking about. But it can't be. Not now; not when everything would soon be right again. It must be someone else.

"Edward, I'm so sorry! It's Bella... She's…. She's gone." Alice barely managed to choke out her words before dissolving into tears.

"What?" I whispered. I felt as if I had been punched in the chest. My mind froze, agony coursing through my body. I jerked to a stop, slowly crumbling to my knees in horror. "Alice… What do you mean she's gone? She can't be gone! She CAN'T!" I snarled, screaming in fury and desperation.

"Bella's dead Edward. Victoria was on the hunt for her, and... I don't know why I didn't see this! I'm so sorry Edward! It's all my fault!"

"NO!" I yelled in agony. I'm not sure what happened next, the pain consumed my whole form for what seemed an eternity. The next thing I knew, I was speeding towards Forks and my cell phone had been reduced to a silvery dust in my hand. I had to see for myself. She couldn't be dead! I couldn't live in a world in which she didn't exist. There was no world without Bella_. _

_ Surely if she had been killed, Alice would have seen it! Alice would have known! This vision must be wrong. It has to be. _

I burst out of the soggy trees; right next to Bella's run down house. I flung myself up to her window, scrambling to get the latch open without tearing the window to shreds. After what would have seemed a moment later to a human, but seemed an eternity to me, I hurled her window open and dashed into her dark room. The first thing I noticed was that it was very, very neat. Like no one had lived there for a long time. Then I noticed the smell. It was dusty and hollow, with only the faintest scent of _her _left. In the tiny room, there was a layer of dust resting on every surface; her perfectly made bed had a spattering of dried rose petals covering the pillows, and next to the rose petals, was a piece of newspaper. I picked it up gingerly, and swiftly read the headline.

**_ Police Chief's Daughter Still Missing. Assumed Dead. _**

The paper fell from my fingers. Swiftly followed to the floor by me.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Thanks again for all the reviews! It's really encouraging to hear you all like my story so much *blushes* Oh, and I'm still beta searching, so if you're interested, PM me. Now, on to chapter 3!**

**Disclaimer: Yeah. Not Stephenie Meyer. I don't own any of the characters, except for my mini-Jacob, who is sitting next to my bed. **

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BPOV

"Dude… Do you think we should help her? Maybe she got bitten by a snake or something. She looks real bad… Besides, she is HOT! You know Adam, maybe if we help her, she'll… help us… You know what I mean?"

"Damn, Jason, shut up! I don't know what kind of shit is going through your head right now, but there is something really wrong. I don't know… She is hot, but that chick gives me the creeps. There's something really weird about it… I mean, what the hell is she doing out here?! We're miles from civilization as it is, and we're backpacking together! She's all alone, and I don't even see a purse or anything. What chick goes anywhere without a purse? Besides, how did she get this far away from town?"

Through the fire coursing through my veins, I was able to distinguish the voices of two males, conversing on the other side of the clearing from where I was writhing in agony. Even though they were speaking in whispers, I was able to hear each word. They seemed to be discussing what they should do about me. I can't imagine what I must look like, doubled over in pain as I was, and howling in agony. Of course, I knew exactly what was happening to me. Victoria had bitten me, and I was now turning into a vampire. Was this nature's idea of a sick joke? For a year I longed to be immortal, and yet that illusive state eluded me. Now, the moment I was ready to move on with my life, I am sucked back into the world of the night, forever cursed to long for blood? What. The. Crap.

This brought my mind back to the two men who were still discussing over what to do with me. I wanted to tell them to run; to flee from my imminent bloodlust and to save themselves. But because of my screams, I couldn't get a single word out. Oh, why did they have to find me now? From what the Cullens had told me about hunting, once I caught their scent, there would be no stopping me. There would be a split second where one of them would realize what was happening, and then it would all be over.

_ The Cullens… Crap. What am I supposed to do about them? No, don't think about it now. Save that for later. Don't need that crap on top of everything else.  
_

Abruptly, the fire began to recede from my limbs.

_ This must mean that my transformation must almost be over! If those men don't leave right now, they are going to be my first meal! Their lives cut short, because of my insatiable bloodlust. Wonderful. Of all the horrible timing..._

As I pondered what I was going to do, I could begin to feel the fire leaving my hands. They felt cool, and gloriously pain-free! I concentrated on each inch that the fire left. First it was my fingers, then up to my wrists, then up to my elbows, and finally up to my shoulders! But, as the fire in my limbs went away, the fire in my heart burned hotter and hotter! It seemed like the fire that was leaving the rest of me, was all being moved directly into my heart. Could I really survive this? Surely by now I must have burned to a crisp. The fire in my limbs was almost gone, but suddenly, my heart took off like a helicopter! Faster, and faster, the beats merged together, sounding like a hummingbirds wings. I gasped loudly in shock, and the pause in my screaming caught the men's attention.

"Adam, you're being a moron! She could be dying, and we're doing nothing to help her! Well, I'm going to be a man, and go save that damsel in distress." I could hear the man named Jason beginning to make his way across the clearing, his heavy footfalls stopping right next to my head. As my heart slowed, I could… _feel_ the man bending over my prone form. I could feel the rush of his blood, sweet and succulent, flowing under the thin membrane of his skin. My heart gave one final shuddering beat, and then was silent. All was completely still in the clearing. I squeezed my eyes even more tightly closed, because I knew if I saw the pulse of Jason's blood, I would lose it completely. I would have no choice but to kill him. I held my breath, and although I knew vampires didn't need any oxygen, it was terrifying to attempt for the first time! I was the strangest sensation I have ever felt… I wanted to take a breath out of habit, but I could feel I didn't need it. My old brain, and my new brain were fighting each other. So I continued holding my breath, desperate to remain in control of my thirst. Because I was so focused on not killing the two men, it escaped my notice that I was much more rational than I should be… I was able to lay there, a seconds old vampire, and restrain myself from murdering them. That was, needless to say, very unusual.

"Miss? Are you ok?!" The Jason began to panic, noticing that I had not taken a breath for the last minute and a half. "Miss? We're here to help you! Are you alive?! Look what you did Adam! While you were arguing with me, this girl probably died! Miss, are you ok?" Jason began shaking my shoulders, trying to see if I was alive or not. I knew I couldn't hold on to the ledge of sanity I was clinging to, much longer. I had to get them away from me! All of a sudden, I felt something warm on my face. Not the rough touch of Jason's hand, no… This was much gentler. This was the sun. The sun had come out from behind the clouds. It was only for a moment, but it was long enough for Jason to notice my skin sparkling like a diamond. _Thank you God! _I thought. This would get them to run away!

"What the hell?! Adam? Are you seeing this?" Jason cried, jumping back in shock. Adam sprinted across the clearing to desperately pull his friend away from me.

"Jason, I told you there was something weird about her! Come on! We have got to get out of here!"

"No Adam… She's beautiful! She won't hurt us! She's an angel! Let me go!" Jason ripped his arms from Adams grasp, and walked back to my side. He kneeled down over my face, his hot breath on my forehead, and began to open one of my eyes with his hands. I knew if he got any closer, I would fall off the ledge, and the man who tried to help me would become my first meal. _Crap, crap, crap, CRAP! Leave me alone! _I whimpered in pain, the fire in my throat burning hotter and hotter with his close proximity.

I popped my eyes open, focusing in on Jason, who was still leaning over me. His green eyes widened in horror as he took in my blood red ones, but instead of getting up and running, he froze in fear. Even with my blood red eyes, he didn't run- he just kneeled there, his nose inches from mine. I took in his appearance, desperately trying to remind myself that he was a person! He had a family and a life! His sandy blond hair swung in his eyes, reminding me of Mike. _Yes! Yes! Find things that remind you of your friends! He is human! Human like them! Human like you used to be! _ The fire in my throat did not want to listen to reason though. I searched his form again, desperate to find another similarity. His tall, gangly build reminded me of Embry, and he had on heavy boots and a flannel shirt, just like Charlie used to wear. Charlie…

Using the only air I had in my lungs, I squeaked out a single word.

"Run!"

Adam wrenched Jason off of me, dragging him at a sprint into the forest.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!?!!? Jason, RUN!" Adam screamed, terrified.

"But she was beautiful…" Jason sighed, still in a daze, even though he was being dragged at a breakneck speed by Adam.

They were out of the clearing! And even though I could reach them in a moment if I wanted to, somehow it felt safer. I flipped myself up off the ground, nearly invisible with speed, and clamped my hand over my mouth and nose. I turned and sprinted off in the opposite direction, trying to find something to quench my fiery thirst. Something that wasn't a human.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Alright everyone! Next chapter, here we come! This is what happens when you start posting the story when you already have 6 chapters finished. After I get the first 6 up, the updates won't be as close together, but till then I'm going to be a ninja updater! Hi-yah! Now, on to chapter 4!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Well, not nothing, because I do own stuff... Like a computer, and a copy of Microsoft Word. So, yeah I own stuff, just not any Twilight stuff. Well, that's not true either, because I own lots of Twilight stuff... LOTS of Twilight stuff. It's beginning to outnumber my Harry Potter stuff... How to phrase this?...Ok, I didn't write Twilight, and I'm not Stephenie Meyer. If I was, I wouldn't always misspell her name. That should be good. **

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Chapter 4

BPOV

I had wanted to kill a human! No, not just wanted… Desperately longed after, to the point of pain! What had happened to me? I had known that this was how the first year was supposed to be, but it seemed much more horrifying when it was happening to me, rather than just hearing stories about it.

As I ran, I took in all of my new vampire senses. It was overwhelming, all these new feelings assaulting at the same time. Even though I was travelling at near invisible speed, I was still able to see… everything! I could see each drop of rain on the limbs of the trees that I blazed past, each tiny insect crawling up the trunk. All the colors had become much more vivid, the greens seeming richer and deeper, the browns more chocolaty. There was even another color that my new eyes could see, that I had no name for. And it wasn't just my sight that had improved, because even with wind rushing past my ears, each noise around me was crystal clear! I could even hear the insect's breath quickening in fear as I ran past them! Everything was so much… _more. _The smells were stronger; I could smell the wet earth that I kicked up with my feet. The feelings were so much different, my stone skin being more sensitive, but at the same time, more dulled. While I could feel each individual needle of the pine tree branch that hit my face, it just glanced off my skin, not hurting at all. Really, it felt more like… feathers caressing my skin, than anything. Certainly not painful!

I ran for a long time, determined to get as far away from the two hikers as possible. After running for almost an hour, I finally stopped –much more suddenly that I intended, for one moment I was faster than a speeding bullet, the next, as still as a statue- and took in more of my surroundings. I seemed to be standing the middle of nowhere. Really. There was nothing around me for miles, or I would have been able to hear it! I began to laugh at my ridiculous predicament, but upon hearing my voice, I suddenly stopped.

_Was that me? Does my voice really sound so… perfect? _

My laughter didn't sound like its old I'm-almost-snorting, laughter. It sounded like bells!

"Hello!" I yelled, trying out my new voice. My hello echoed through the trees, sounding like a chorus of wood nymphs! I laughed again, but this time with glee! I sounded pretty! It was glorious!

_Hmm… If that's what I sound like, I wonder what I look like. _I looked down at my body, suddenly realizing that I was almost naked! I was only wearing the giant, flannel, button down shirt I had gone to bed in, and it was in terrible condition! There were gashes in the fabric, one of them travelling all the way up my hip, only stopping at my waist!

_Good job Bella, I bet you gave those two guys a great show. No wonder Jason didn't want to leave! He just wanted to look up at your underwear. Maybe you should have eaten him._

"Woah. Where did that come from?" I said to myself, out loud. Maybe the vampire thing made me a bitch too. Holy crow! Where did THAT come from? Since when I had I called anyone a bitch? Let alone myself!

"Bitch…" I whispered under my breath. It felt… nice. There was something satisfying about cursing.

"Bitch!" I said even louder, giggling to myself. "BITCH!!!!" I yelled it at the top of my lungs, the echoes bouncing back to me. I doubled over in hysterics! _Man, why didn't I ever swear when I was human? This is fun! _

"Oh, Bella! Stop being so ridiculous! Calm down." I sighed, sitting down to examine the rest of me. I looked down at my arm, holding it out in front of me to look closely at my stony skin. It looked like my arm had slightly lengthened, and my fingers were longer too. Any traces of baby fat had been replaced with muscles, and while my skin had not changed color too much, it looked much more… durable. Not as thin and delicate. I looked down at the rest of my body, examining as much as I could, without a mirror. I looked slimmer and more graceful!

_Graceful… Me? That will be interesting. Come to think of it, I didn't trip at all when I was running! And, when I jumped off the ground, did I do a back flip?! I think… I… did… Good night! I've turned into a ninja! At least I know what happened to me… Poor Alice… What must she have thought when she woke up? I'm having a difficult time processing all this, and I know exactly what happened! Speaking of which… Where has Victoria gone? Is she just leaving me to fend for myself? Is she going to come back, and kill me? _I put my hand up to quell my thundering heartbeats that were sure to come. Of course, since my heart no longer beat, that was not necessary.

_Silly me. _I thought, laughing to myself. It was going to take a long time to get over my old human habits. Then again, if I hadn't done that, out of habit, I might never have noticed the note that was in my shirt pocket. I gingerly pulled out the wrinkled piece of paper, and began to read.

_Bella, _

_When you read this, I will be gone. I may see you again, I may not, but I will not come looking for you. I have given you immortality. Enjoy it. You were an interesting human. I am sure you will make an interesting immortal. _

The note was not signed, but I knew who it was from. I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that I was, for now, safe. As I put my hands up to my face, I noticed how different my face felt. My lips seemed more even now, and my cheekbones were definitely more pronounced.

"Where is a mirror when you need one?" I sighed aloud, sniffing the air for any traces of water. I caught a scent that smelled like water… sort of. Instead of it smelling cool and clear and appetizing, it smelled… It smelled like… mud and old milk. Sort of a sour smell, but with earthy undertones. Definitely not appetizing. But I didn't need to drink it; I just needed something that I could get a reflection in. I needed to see what I looked like. Now, I knew all vampires were supposed to be stunningly beautiful, and they became that way during the transformation, but I just couldn't picture myself that way. I had been completely ordinary looking for such a long time, I doubted I would look any different vamped up, if you'll pardon the pun. I followed the disgusting scent of the lake, all the way to the outer banks. Quickly, I found a nice little ledge, and peered over into the muddy water. I gasped with the sight I saw before me, reflected almost perfectly in the still water.

What I saw in the lake, was a beautiful young woman. Her mahogany hair was spilling in waves over her shoulders, a stark contrast to her pale, luminescent skin. She had high, pronounced cheekbones, and a soft, innocent looking face; innocent, except for the ghoulish, blood red eyes. I reached up to touch my face, running my hands over the unfamiliar shapes. I could still see a little of the old me in this new girl, my upper lip was still just a little fuller than my lower one, and the shape of my eyes was the same.

_Well, that makes me feel a little better. It's not quite as bad as I was expecting. _ In fact, the more I looked at her, the more I saw me in the features. It was still me, just… cleaned up a little. Speaking of cleaning up, I was covered in dirt_._

_I guess when I was rolling around in pain, I was also lying in a mud slick. Yuck._ Quickly I stood up, and pulled my shirt off, tossing it to the ground.

_Oops. Maybe that was a little fast. _I thought. I had accidentally ripped all the buttons off the shirt. _Great. What am I supposed to do now? Oh well, _I sighed, in my mind._ might as well take a bath anyway. _ I pulled off my underwear, more carefully that time, and then dove into the cool water of the lake.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Well lookie here! It's a new chapter! It's shorter than the last several ones, but we need to check in on Edward! **

**And, yet again, thank you so much for the reviews! They really make my day! Is it sad that I check my email at _least_ 10 times a day, just to see if I have a new review? Nah... Anyway, I live for reviews, and feedback is greatly, greatly appreciated! **

**Now, on to the chapter!**

**Oh wait. Gotta do that disclaimer thing first. Dang it**

**Disclaimer: I am not Stephenie Meyer. Don't own the Twilight characters. Damn. If I did own them, Bella would be way more bad-ass, and would have known how to make landmines out of a barbie doll, and a grandfather clock... Or something cool like that. She would have at least worn a leather corset 90% of the time.  
**

**NOW, on to the new chapter! Let us see what poor Edward has been up to...**

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EPOV

"Edward, this is insane! You can't just go off yourself because Bella is dead! You ass! Think of Carlisle and Esme! It nearly killed Esme when you _left_! Imagine what would happen if you killed yourself!!!" Rosalie was screaming at me from across the room, pacing back and forth furiously. Emmett sat on a chair next to where she was pacing and Alice and Jasper were standing behind him. Esme and Carlisle were not there, as they were on a flight returning from their anniversary honeymoon. The firelight from the fireplace in the corner was dancing off of all of their faces, and the eggshell colored living room was turned to many shades of orange and red. Snow whipped around the side of the house, contrasting starkly against the night sky. The howling wind and crackling of the fireplace seemed to personally offend Rosalie, because her pacing was slowly growing more and more agitated. After another furious glare, she turned to yell at me again. "You're being a selfish, pretentious, prick! Grow up! You have to stop being such a freaking drama queen!"

"Rosalie, shut up!" Alice finally yelled. She dashed over to Rosalie and jumped on her back, clamping her tiny hands over Rose's mouth. Alice turned her topaz eyes towards me, her bottom lip trembling pitifully. "Edward, I know that you're… beyond heartbroken and I am too! Bella was my best friend!" Alice's face contorted in pain, wrenched on the inside from the tears that would never fall. "And I know it's all my fault that I didn't see this! And… oh, I'm sorry Edward! I'm so, so sorry!" The image of Alice perched on Rosalie's back-her hands still over Roses mouth- and crying dry, heaving tears, would almost be comical, if the moment was not so deadly serious. "Edward, I will never get over the guilt I feel for allowing this to happen. I'm a horrible, vile person, and I wouldn't blame you if you never spoke to me again, but please, don't do anything rash! It would destroy the family! Especially Esme. This would destroy her." After I had found the paper in Bella's room, I had run out into the forest, out to our meadow. I had sat down in the grass, and allowed replayed every moment I had ever spent with Bella. I just sat there, the rain coming down in torrents around me, and grieved for my love. After several hours, my family had burst through the trees, desperately trying to find me. They picked up my soaked, grief ridden form, and had dragged me all the way back up to the new house in Denali. I could only imagine that when Alice had seen a vision of me going to the Volturi, the family jumped into immediate action and rushed down to save me. While Alice **had** seen my plan, what she was unaware of was that I was not going to put it into action for the time being. No, I had other things that must happen before I ended my miserable life.

"Edward, dude, you need to get over this!" Emmett sighed, standing up from his seat, and running his fingers through his hair. I growled viciously at him, but he continued on without pause. "Bella was awesome, and I loved her, but you can't go on like this! Don't freaking kill yourself because of her! You knew that this would happen one day! Isn't this what you wanted!?"

"No! Of course not! I wanted her to live a safe, happy life! I wanted her to find a husband, get married, and have scores of children. I did not want her to be murdered by a sadistic vampire because of me! That's why I LEFT!"

_Edward, please, please, please, don't kill yourself! I don't know what I'd do if you did! I know it will be the most difficult thing you have ever done, but please, try to live without her! I beg you! _Alice thought. The voice in her head sounded extremely pained, and desperate.

"Alice, I'm not going to kill myself. Not at the present moment, anyway." I whispered, interrupting Alice's thoughts. "Before I go to Italy, I must find Victoria. That vile piece of scum has precious few moments left to live. I intend to make sure that she will not taint the air by breathing much longer."

"Oh, Edward!" Alice cried, leaping off of Rosalie's back to jump onto my lap and give me a hug. She threw her tiny arms around me, squeezing me with considerable force. "You can do it! You can catch Victoria! We'll help you!" She grabbed my head, gazing reassuringly into my eyes. "With all of us, she can't run forever!"

"No Alice." I said, peeling her hands off the side of my head. "Victoria is mine. I have to do this alone. "

"But, Edward!"

"NO, Alice!" I yelled at her. "It's my job, and I do not want, or need any help."

"Edward, we can-"

"Darlin', let it be." Jasper interrupted, gently pulling Alice into his side. "Edward's right. He needs to do this himself." Jasper turned Alice's face up to his and looked lovingly into her eyes. They gazed at each other like this for a few moments, then Alice nodded slightly and buried her face in his side.

_Edward, I won't pretend to understand why you feel it is necessary that you do this without any assistance from us, but I feel your determination about it. We will not interfere, unless you ask for help. Don't worry, I will speak to Alice. _Jasper thought, looking over Alice's shoulder at me. I gave him a nod of understanding and thanks.

"Now, everyone," I said, rising from the couch. "I must go. Thank you for your concern, but I have to return to Forks, to begin tracking Victoria." I sneered her name, anger boiling up within me as I pictured her flaming hair.

"No!" They all cried at the same time, taking an involuntary step forward to stop me.

"Don't worry," I yelled, exasperated at their lack of trust in me. "I'm not going to go "off myself" Not yet anyway. Victoria and I have some unfinished business to take care of. Good night, everyone." I said, dashing out the door before anyone could stop me. The final glance I caught of them, was of their horrified faces, frozen in shock.

I quickly grabbed the keys to my Aston Martin, and slid into the driver's seat. I gunned the engine and sped off into the night, the mountains of Alaska rushing past the windows.

"Victoria, you had better be ready for our next meeting. I am so looking forward to it." I growled to no one in particular.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Alrighty chickadees, here is the last chapter I have completely finished, so after this one, the updates won't be as close together. Sad day... But have no fear! I will update as quickly as I can. I have a pretty good idea where this story is going, but who knows what may happen... I'm just as interested to see where this story will end, as you are. **

**Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah, I'm not Stephenie Meyer, I don't own this, blah, blah, blah. You get the idea.**

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BPOV

I floated on my back in the lake, my face up to the overcast sky. The waves gently lapped at my bare skin and my hair billowed out in ripples behind me. I sighed out loud, sinking slightly in the warm, calm water. Or at least, it felt warm to me. It might have been nearly freezing and I never would have known. Almost everything felt warm to my icy skin now. Even the light sprinkling of snow covering the branches of the trees felt warm!

I think I had been laying the lake for almost an hour now, but it was difficult to tell; it was an overcast day, I had no watch and my skin didn't get all pruney anymore. I sighed again, using up all the oxygen in my useless lungs and slipped completely under the inky water. I decided that I wanted to go dive to the bottom of the lake again and see if I could find anything interesting. I had already made several ventures to the bottom, almost 100 feet away from the surface in the center, but so far all I had discovered was mud. I hadn't even seen a fish! I knew that there were fish in the lake somewhere, because I could smell them, but the moment I jumped into the lake, they swam for cover. I was rather disappointed by this, because I really wanted to see what kind of fish they had there! Where ever I was… Where was I anyway?

_Well, _I thought, swimming deeper into the depths of the gloom. _I doubt that I am still in the U.S., because, I think that when I ran away from Adam and Jason, I ran north. So maybe, I'm in Canada? Of course, that doesn't narrow it down very much. Canada is a big country after all. After I finish this dive, I guess I'll try to find out where I am. _I resolved. Almost as soon as had finished this thought, I reached the bottom of the lake. There was almost no vegetation here, only a few water reeds scattered in-between the rocks and mud. To my surprise, I had been able to see perfectly clearly when I went underwater for the first time. It was as clear as if I had been wearing a diver's mask! This was useful, because as I wasn't a very good swimmer in my human life, and I was a rather normal person, I didn't usually carry a pair of goggle on me. Especially not when I went to bed.

I pushed my arms upward against the water, forcing myself to the bottom of the lake, and settled on my back, gazing up through the murky gloom, to the faint rays of light above. It was really a gorgeous sight; the reeds swaying all around me, my hair-almost black in the water- billowing around my face, and my pale skin contrasting startlingly against the greenish-brown water. I wondered what Edward would say if he could see me now… Would he be angry? Did his aversion to me becoming immortal leave when he became bored with me? Was I more interesting now that I was eternally young and beautiful? Could I be more compatible to his needs? Could he love me, now that we were equals? Could he learn to love me again?

_Bella, STOP. This is insane. Edward didn't want you then and he doesn't want you now. At least then you could have provided him with a tasty snack! Now all you can do is be pretty and run as fast as him. Besides, God knows where he is now. He could be in the Antarctica for all you know. He's moved on, and you can too. You can grow up. Do you really want to be eternally miserable? You have Jake now. You can be happy with…Oh God… Jake! _My stomach curled in horror and my hands flew up to my mouth. _Jake! Oh no, oh no, no, no, no! What have I done! He must think I'm dead, or worse! Crap, crap, crap!!!! _I used my arms to propel me off the bottom of the lake, and then kicked against it as hard as I possibly could. I shot like a rocket to the surface. I think I must have kicked a little too hard, because I didn't stop when I got to the surface; I flew out of the water with a scream, went about ten feet in the air, and then landed back in the water with a splash. I swam to the shore, pulled on my underwear as carefully as I could in my panic, and then threw the ruined shirt on, tying it around my waist.

_ Alright. What am I going to DO? _In my agitation, I began to pace back and forth on the edge of the lake._ I have to go tell Jake that I'm alive! Well, I do… Don't I? I mean, he'll be disgusted with me… Horrified that I've become a "blood-sucker". Will he want to know? What if he gets mad at me, and tells me he never wants to see me again? I don't know if I can live through that. And what if one of the other wolves gets to me first, and doesn't realize that it's me, before it's too late! Would they even care? I'm not a Cullen, so I don't have any protection from them; they're not obligated to leave me alone. Would it matter who I used to be, now that I am a vampire? _My frenzied brain tried to sort through every question was running through my mind. _Ok… Let's see. Does Jake need to know that I'm alive? _I asked myself. _Yes, he does. _I answered. _Alright then, how am I going to find him? I don't even know where I am! How am I supposed to get home from here? Well, I suppose I will have to find a town and get a map or something… I think I had better find some different clothes first, though… _I thought, looking down at my tattered clothing. It was barely covering anything anymore!_ CRAP! What am I going to do about that? Just go into someone's house while they're sleeping and steal some clothes? Since when am I a criminal? I could pay them back, except I don't have any money… Maybe I could get the clothes, drop by my house, and then get my purse? That would work… Except for avoiding Charlie…. Oooooooooooh, Charlie! _

I sank to my knees, the horror of this realization sinking in. If Jake thought I was dead, what would Charlie think? _Charlie is sure to think I'm dead! Crap, crap, crap! I can't let him see me like this! At least with Jake, he would understand! He would know what had happened to me! Charlie would have a heart attack if he saw me! I can't do that to him. What if I killed him by accident? If I got thirsty, and wasn't paying close attention, and attacked him? Holy crow! Telling him what I have become is out of the question too. I can't suck him into this world, just because of my obsession with a boy! Why, oh why did I have to move in with Charlie? Damn it! _I plopped down on my butt, and buried my face in my hands. What was I going to do now? I couldn't kill my own father! _So, that's it then. I refuse to be the cause of his death, so I can't see Charlie ever again… Ever. _My stomach twisted painfully, and my eyes started to burn. It felt like I was crying, the familiar stinging sensation in my eyes, but when I reached up to wipe the tears away, there was nothing. Was this what it felt like to cry in this new body? Was I never to be able to feel the glorious relief of a good, long cry?

I pushed my fingers against my temple, sorting through all the things that I had realized in the past few moments; it truly had been just a few moments._ One of the benefits of being a vampire, I guess; super speed running, as well as thinking. Lucky me. All right. Now what? I guess I'll go along with the original plan, and go back to Forks to tell Jake what's happened to me. Maybe I'll be able to leave a letter for Charlie, telling him that I love him, but I couldn't stay in Forks anymore. Maybe I say I went to college somewhere, and can keep writing him letters… Maybe? He can never see me again though. Not now, not with these eyes, and my skin! Oh, what would he say if he saw me sparkling like a disco ball? _

_ "Hey dad, look! I'm alive! Hooray!" _

_ "Bella, what the hell is with your skin!?!?!"_

_ "Oh… That…. Too much body glitter?" _

_ Yeah. That would go over really well… Totally believeable. _I slowly picked myself up off the ground, brushing off the dead grass from my skin. I looked around the edge of the woods, trying to make a guess at which way to go. _I could go past those rocks over there, I suppose. That might me the correct way… _

"Oh!" I cried out loud, an idea popping into my head."Maybe I can _smell _which way I came from! That would at least get me back in the direction of where Victoria had left me. Then I could probably find my way back from there, by following her scent! YES!" I whooped, jumping in the air. I delicately sniffed the air, trying to find the spot I had burst out of the woods, but the only scent in the air, the only scent that mattered at that moment, was coming from directly behind me. It wasn't my trail; no, this was a much more appetizing, much wetter, much more delicious scent. It had a tangy edge to it, and wasn't as appealing as the two hikers from earlier, but it did smell delectable… I spun around on the spot, trying to find the source of this tantalizing scent, and high up in the trees, was the source. It was an _enormous_ mountain lion. I sprung into the tree, one word in my mind:

_Food!_

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End notes: I am also posting this story on , and I made a banner for it! If, for some reason, you are interested in seeing it, here is the link to it: http://i230 **dot **photobucket **dot **com/albums/ee213/irishdaydreamer/Banner **dot **jpg?t=1263066236

Replace the "**dot**"'s with periods, and you should be good to go!


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Here you go, my chickadees! Chapter 7! Just beware, you're going to hate me, so I apologize in advance for this chapter. Why are you going to hate me? Well, if you read the chapter, instead of the authors notes, you would know! Now, lets get this show on the road!**

**Disclaimer: My mom+my dad+a romantic dinner= Me.**

**My mom+my dad+a romantic dinner= **** Not Stephenie Meyer. **

**Just to clear that up. **

**------------------------------  
**

Without pausing to think, I leaped into the air; landing on a tree several hundred feet away from the one the mountain lion was stalking on. At that moment there was no other thought in my head, other than to drink this animal dry. The burning in my throat was the only feeling I could focus on, it consumed my whole body, leaving my thoughts a haze, and pushing me onward. Never had I felt so… wild. It was as if I wasn't even there anymore! Some feral creature had taken control of my limbs; I could only stand to the side and watch.

I leaped gracefully to a higher branch, swiftly growing closer to my dinner. I swung up, higher and higher, like a spider climbing a web. Finally, I closed the distance between the lion and myself, and leaped onto the branch behind him. He turned around, startled by the light rustling of the leaves, his golden eyes locking on my red ones. He growled menacingly at me, his lips pulling back to reveal razor sharp teeth. As he growled, he stalked forward; each step causing the branch to shudder. Now, normally, something of this caliber would fill me with horror and dread, but something was different… I didn't feel as if I were in danger at all! Somehow, instinctively I suppose, I knew he couldn't hurt me.

His cry ripped through the air as he pawed the branch, puzzled by my lack of response to his advance. For some reason this was hysterical, and I laughed darkly, as I delicately walked towards him. The lion leaped at me, ripping at my already ruined shirt, and clawing at my granite skin. His shocked expression when my flesh didn't tear caused me to laugh even more than I already was! I leaped forward, over his back, onto the other side of the branch. I quickly spun around and dove at the lion, accidentally tumbling off the branch, the lion's head in my grip. As we fell down the 100 feet from the branch, he tried to twist out of my grasp, dragging his harmless claws across my skin. We twisted and spun in midair, and when we were about to reach the ground, I spun him underneath me, using the fall to break his neck. His body went limp, and I thirstily dove for his neck. I bit into his flesh, my teeth cutting through it as easily as if I were eating jello, and his hot blood finally flowed into my parched mouth.

The taste was exquisite! There are no words I can use to describe how glorious it tasted. While there was a slight tang to it, it was still the most wonderful combination of flavors I have ever dined on. It tasted like… Like… Like how a gardenia smells! If you could take that smell, and eat it, his blood would taste like that. There was a sweetness too… like butterscotch, but it had the satisfaction of eating a stake. How could I ever have thought blood smelled like rust?! This was the most delectable meal one could ever hope to eat. I drank greedily, the fire in my throat slowly being quenched. After I had drained him dry, I shoved the lion's body off my legs, and stood up. I flicked my hands over my shirt, brushing myself off, and assessing my condition. My shirt was even more destroyed than before!

_Wonderful! _I thought. _How on earth am I going to get any more clothes now? What if someone saw me?! "Oh look at that nice girl! I love her outfit! Look how pretty that torn and bloody shirt is! And I love her no pants, no shoes, no money, and red eyes combo she has going there! Totally fabulous, and completely normal!" Yeah right. I'd look like I just had a one night stand with a bear! Yuck. They'd think I was one of those crazy people who has sex with animals! Bestiality… Yichk._

I laughed a little at this last thought, an image of Jacob popping into my head. If I had slept with him, would that have been bestiality? Hmmm… _Things to ponder. _

_Alright, Bella. Focus. No need to be thinking weird crap like that. Now, _I glanced around, trying to find the trail again. _Where was I? _

I darted over to where I could smell the trail, slowly picking up speed as I got the hang of following it. The clearing with the lake slowly faded away in the distance, growing fainter and fainter with each step through the wet earth. The rich smell of the soil wafted up around me, intermingling with my scent, and the rest of the forest smells. I glanced up at the sky, and noticed that the clouds had a pinkish tint to them.

_I guess the sun's beginning to set. It's twilight… Edward's favorite time of day… _I thought back to a conversation Edward and I had, at that horrible prom he had forced me to go to.

_It seems a million years ago… I begged him to turn me into a vampire that night, and look where I am now. _

"Very funny." I called, to no one in particular. But honestly, why had this happened to me?!

_I longed to be a vampire all last year, and I stayed human! Now, just hours after I've gotten over Edward, I get bitten? REALLY? Why couldn't Edward have met me as a vampire? Everything would have worked out perfectly! We could be together, as equals. He wouldn't have had to come save my fragile little butt all the time. It would have worked… _

"No it wouldn't" I sighed out loud. "He would have gotten bored with you just as quickly, and would have left anyway. Nothing would have changed. In fact, he might have left earlier, because you wouldn't have smelled as good. The best you can do now is continue on with your life, and try to fix as much as you can." I desperately longed to be back in Forks. For the first time in my life, I wanted to be "Boring Old Bookworm Bella" as my classmates in Phoenix had dubbed me. I wanted to hang out with Angela, and do homework. I wanted to go down to the diner with Charlie, and eat overpriced, fatty food! Hell, I even wanted to go to the movies with Mike and Jacob again! I would do that whole, horrible night over again, 100 times, just so I could have more time with Jacob.

_God, I hope the pack will recognize me… It would kind of suck to be killed by your best friends. Ha-ha… I said suck. So many cheesy vampire puns to be made… Well, I guess I have plenty of time to be doing that. Yep. Time is something I'm going to have plenty of. _

I pushed myself onward, willing my feet to move faster and faster, my hair streaming out behind me, in chocolate ripples. It didn't seem to be tangling at all!

_That's weird… _I put my hands up to my head, and ran my fingers through my hair. _Nope! Not tangling at all! I guess it's another weird, vampire thing. _

The trees whooshed past me, their thick branches, high above, making it darker than it was above the treetops. Surprisingly, I had been having no trouble following my trail, even though I had been running for almost 4 hours. Suddenly, I saw a break in the trees, several thousand feet ahead of me! I pushed my feet onward, breaking through the tree line, into the clearing I had been changed in.

_Here I am… Where not hours ago, Jason and Adam almost died, and the place where I woke up to the first day of forever. _ I sighed, looking around at the small, dark clearing.

_No need to linger here. I guess I'll just follow Victoria's scent back to Forks, and pray the wolves don't attack me before I've had time to explain. _I sniffed the air, catching Victoria's older cinnamon scented trail, and began to follow it though the woods. _Maybe if I have time to explain, the pack can help me get some clothes and money; I'm sure Emily would be furious if they didn't help me. Oh, Emily… _My heart ached for the girl I barely knew. We had not known each other long, but we had understood each other. We had our own sisterhood! We had been "The Wolf Girls", the ones waiting up late for our boys to get home, and the ones tossing and turning in bed, worrying about them. It hurt to know I would never be able to share that with her again. Would I even get to share anything with anyone again?

_I mean… What am I going to do? Be a nomad vampire? I don't know how to do that! I can't go steal all the money I need, and I'm certainly not going to kill humans! Should I settle down? Be like the Cullens, and go to High School again? _I shuddered at the thought. One time through High School was certainly enough. _Maybe I can find an old, abandoned house, and live there for a while. I could find a night job, and make a little money, and eventually buy a new house! Except for the fact that I have no papers, or an I.D. Ugh. Well, this just gets better and better! I suppose I could learn to forge papers…. The Cullens must have gotten pretty good at it over the years. Of course, I could always go and find the Cullens, and see if I could live with them… _

"No" I said out loud, stopping that train of thought.

_When they left, I think they made it pretty clear how little I matter to them. I'm sure they wouldn't want me around to burden them. No, you'll have to make it on your own. Just, avoid normal vampires, and you should be fine. _

As I ran onward, I began to recognize my surroundings. This definitely looked like the forest at La Push. I looked upward at the tall trees, and it was then that I felt something running behind me. I froze on the spot, whipping around, and searching the shadows to find my tracker. Two brown eyes peered at me from out of the darkness.

"Bella?" A voice cracked, through the silent night air.

A tall boy in cutoff jeans stepped out from the shadows.

It was Jacob.

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**Muahahahaahahahahahahaha! *laughs evilly* **

**On a positive note, I have discovered it is much more fun to write cliffhangers, rather than to read them. **

**Don't worry though, I'll try to get this updated asap!  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N : Well, here we are! The next chapter! Again, I apologize in advance for this, because you're going to hate me. It's not the chapter you want, but it's the chapter you need. Hey, we had to see what was going on with Edward! **

**Disclaimer: I am not Mormon, do not have brown hair, and I am not a best selling author. Therefore, I can not possibly be Stephenie Meyer.**

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*Two days earlier*

EPOV

The trees around me were almost reduced to a blur as I ran through the woods, trying to find a fresh trail from Victoria I could follow. I had made it back to Forks without any interference from my family, and was now running through the woods, desperate to find any clue as to where Victoria might be. My anger egged me on, pushing my feet forward, and making the ground practically vanish beneath my feet. Why had Victoria done this?! Bella had not been the one to kill James! I had! Why did she go after someone who posed so little threat to her? It wasn't in her nature. From the little I had heard of her mind, she only did anything when it either benefited her, or proved to be good sport.

_Bella posed no threat to Victoria, and she certainly wouldn't be a fun chase… _I shuddered at this thought, my stomach dropping, and my long still heart aching painfully. It hurt to have to think of Bella like this. "Bella _was_", "Bella _wasn't_". All in the past tense. Nothing was in present tense anymore. I pushed this thought out of my head; if I was going to be a successful tracker, and avenge my love's death, I would have to focus.

_All right, think like Victoria. Why would she go after Bella? Bella was too clumsy to be… interesting prey. Unless, it wasn't Bella she wanted… Unless it was-_

Before I could finish this thought, something huge, and hairy, tackled me to the ground. A growl ripped through the air, and I twisted out of the beasts grasp, landing blithely on my feet. I whipped around, to find myself face to face with a giant wolf. He bared his teeth, his hackles rising, and dove at me again. His teeth snapped towards my face, as he tried to bite me. I leaped out of the way, flipping over his back, and landing almost 20 feet away from him. Almost the moment I hit the ground, I noticed that I could hear a steady stream of obscenities, all directed at me, coming from the wolf!

_That bastard! What right does he have to be here, after what he did to Bella! Has he come back to celebrate that she's dead?! That sick piece of shit! It's a good thing I caught him before Sam can stop me! Treaty be damned!_

"Who are you?" I asked the wolf, who was turning, and getting ready to charge towards me again. The enormous wolf paused, and, suddenly, he disappeared, leaving a naked human boy in his place.

_It can't be… They still exist!? I guess they passed the gene down. _I thought, watching the boy yanking something off his leg. He pulled on a pair of jeans that were tied around his ankle, and looked back up with me. His eyes were filled with rage, and he clenched his hands at his sides.

"Well Cullen, I'm Jacob Black. What the hell are you doing here?!" He seethed at me, fury evident in every word.

"Jacob Black… Well, haven't you changed." I sneered at him. His formerly skinny frame had filled out, and he had grown at least a foot and a half since the night he had interrupted my dance with Bella. But there was no time for useless observations, for he was standing in my way of tracking Victoria. Every moment I wasn't on her trail, was another moment I was spitting on Bella's grave.

"You shut the hell up!" Jacob stalked towards me, only stopping when his nose was only inches from mine. "Why have you come back here?! You've caused enough damage as it is! What, are you here to have a little party? Are you HAPPY that she's dead, you sick shit!?"

His words punched a hole into my chest, but the sorrow was quickly replaced with rage.

"Happy? You think I'm HAPPY?! I left her for this very reason!" I screamed into his face. "I didn't want her to be in danger from my world any longer! I loved her! That's why I left! I loved her, and I will always love her!"

"Loved her?! HAH!" He screamed back, the tendons in his neck standing out. "You loved her?! Is _this _what people do to people they '_love_'?"

Suddenly my find was filled with images of Bella; horrifying images. I saw Bella curled up into a ball on the ground, rocking back and forth slowly, and muttering "He's gone… He's gone…" under her breath. I recognized the jacket she was wearing, was the same jacket she had been wearing the day I left her… This must have been several hours after I had left her in the clearing! Her emotionless eyes stared up at me, blank, with no life in them. She looked dead. Like someone had come and sucked away her soul…

"You! YOU did that! Do you want to see what else you did by 'loving' her?!" Jacob shot at me. He threw more memories at me, causing me to crumple to my knees.

Bella walking out of her car, thin and gaunt, with dark circles under her eyes. Bella wrapping her arms around her torso, as if she was trying to hold herself together. Bella screaming in her sleep, Bella being attacked by Laurent, Bella getting ready to jump off a cliff… Every thought was more horrifying than the last.

"Stop, stop!" I yelled, clutching my head in agony. What had I done?! It wasn't supposed to be like this! She was supposed to be happy! She was supposed to get married, and have babies, and have a normal life. It wasn't supposed to be like this! _It wasn't supposed to be like this…_

"Do you see what you did?" He raged at me "Apparently, after you left, she didn't talk for weeks. She barely ate, and didn't _do _anything. Even after a couple of months, when I saw her, she still looked barely human. Is this what people do to someone they love?! Rip out their heart, and then jump on it?! _I_ was the one to fix her!_ I _was the one who was always there for her!_ I _am the one who loves her, more than you ever could. _You_ have no business being here. Leave. Now."

"No." I said, standing up so I could look him in the eye.

"You had better leave, or else I. Will. Kill. You." He seethed, his jaw clenched from the effort of restraining himself.

"Jacob!" A voice called from the other side of the clearing. Another tall man stepped out from the forest, his dark eyes locking with Jacob's.

"Sam! He killed Bella! This is all Cullens fault! He's the one who knew that redhead chick! This is all his fault!" Jacob turned on Sam, his eyes flashing with defiance.

Sam exhaled loudly, and fixed a stern stare on Jacob. "Jacob, stop. We have a treaty. You will do no harm to him." At these words, growling under his breath, Jacob backed away from me.

_I may not be able to physically hurt you, but you know what you did. I hope the guilt eats you up inside, for the rest of your miserable life. _He hurled his thoughts at me, once again battering me with memories of Bella. I winced away from the horror, desperately trying to ignore the constant stream of vile images he was throwing at me.

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked me, his hushed voice faintly threatening. "I thought you left."

"I've come back to avenge Bella's death. I was hoping I might be able to pick up a trail from Victoria, and hunt her down."

"Oh. I guess that means that you know then." Sam said coldly, his eyes boring into mine.

"Yes, I know." I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "My sister can see the future, and she told me that Bella had died."

"What!? You knew, and you didn't stop it?! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Jacob turned on me, his astonished face overcome with fury.

"She didn't know until it was too late. She only saw me coming back, and finding out Bella had died."I said, in a monotone. He was right. It was my fault. It was as if I had killed her with my own hands. The pain overwhelmed me, leaving me helpless, and adrift. I had to talk about something else; something that didn't involve Bella. "I saw Jacob transform earlier." I said, saying the first thing that popped into my head. "I guess this means the wolves are back."

"Yes." Sam said shortly. "I shifted a year ago, and since then, four more have made the change as well. Even after your family left, we continued to change; the redheaded vampire's presence triggered the gene. I caught a flash of memory; Sam and three other wolves were chasing Victoria through the woods, and right as one of them nipped at her heels, she turned around, looked Sam dead in the eye, and laughed gleefully, before darting off in the other direction.

"Sam…" I whispered my voice heavy with sorrow. "What happened to her? What happened to Bella?"

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**End notes: Woah! Another cliffhanger?! Well, do you know what you can do to make the next update faster? Review! I love, love, love reviews! They really do motivate me to write faster, because I feel like someone, other than me, is reading it. And that is a wonderful feeling. **

**So, until next time...**

***Sweeps cape around herself, and runs off into the mist*  
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	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Yes, yes, I know. It's not the chapter you wanted. Have no fear though, we shall return to Jacob and Bella in due course. **

**Dang, you guys killed it with the reviews on the last chapter! Keep it up! As a reward for all those lovely reviews, here is the next chapter, two days early!  
**

**Disclaimer: I confess it! I am really Stephenie Meyer in disguise! *pulls off wig and mask* You all caught me!**

**Nah, I'm just yanking your chain. I'm not really Stephenie Meyer.**

**For realz, dawg. **

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EPOV

Sam crossed his arms in frustration, trying to decide what to do. I could hear in his thoughts how reluctant he was to giving me too much information about the pack, but, after much deliberating, he chose to tell me.

"It was about a week ago; two days after Harry Clearwater died. Paul, Jared, and I were attending his funeral, because Jacob and Embry had volunteered to run patrol, so we would not leave the reservation defenseless." Sam finally said, breaking the heavy silence. He stalked over to a tree, and leaned his back against it before continuing. "From what Jacob has told me, and from what I have seen in his thoughts, Jacob was running on the north side of the reservation, while Embry was running on the south side. I am not exactly sure what happened, but she got past them. They were just about to go make a run around Forks, when they caught her trail. Jacob and Embry followed it, all the way to Bella's house. Jacob realized what might have happened, and panicked; running into her house, and up to Bella's room. Everything was still in perfect order, except for the few drops of blood on the floor, and the overwhelming stench of a vampire." Sam paused; interrupted by the sound of sobbing. I looked over to see Jacob with his hand over his face, trying to stifle his tears.

"It wasn't your fault." Sam said, looking at Jacob with stony sympathy. "None of us know what happened. This was not your fault."

"It was!" Jacob exploded, leaping to his feet. "If I had been paying better attention, she never would have gotten through! I was just so distracted, what with the funeral, and Bella finally…" He trailed off, glancing over at me. I tried to listen to his thoughts, but he was blocking me; singing the words to Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, over, and over.

"'Bella finally' what?!" I yelled, probing around in his mind, desperate to find an answer. What had finally happened? What did Bella finally do, that he was excited for?!

"Bella finally getting over you!" Jacob screamed back, fighting against his order not to hurt me. "She had finally moved on! We were going to be happy! _She _was going to be happy! I swear to God this universe hates me. Practically the moment everything is going to be _right, _you stupid leeches had to go and screw it up again!"

I opened my mouth to retort, but I had no answer. He was right. If I had never entered Bella's life, she would still be alive. If I had not dragged her into my world of night, she would have had a happy life_. _

_If I had never entered her life…_

Jacob was correct about that.

"Jacob! Calm down!" Sam ordered, shooting a stern look at Jacob. Jacob sat back down; going over the various ways he could kill me, in his head.

"Embry called us," Sam continued, as if nothing had happened. "And the rest of the pack rushed from the funeral. We all went to Bella's house, and tried to track Victoria from there, and at first we couldn't find her. There was a trail to follow, but after following it for about an hour, we stumbled across a fresher trail, and decided to follow that one instead. We followed that one, and eventually caught up with her… She still had Bella's blood on her lips. We chased her for a long time, but, as usual, she escaped." I saw the memory of Victoria laughing as the wolves nipped at her, play again in Sam's head. "We started back to find the older trail, hoping it would lead us to Bella, but we couldn't find it again. We've tried to follow it again, but it always leads us around in circles. We still haven't been able to find a body. Since then, Victoria has made several runs through Forks, but we haven't been able to catch her. I believe she is taunting us. As a matter of fact, I was following one of her trails, when I heard Jacob attack you."

"Sam, can you take me to the trail you were following? I intend to take care of Victoria myself, and would be much obliged if you would assist me in tracking her." I interrupted, anxious to begin chasing her. "That is, if the trail is not on your land. _I_ have no intention of violating our treaty." I shot a pointed look at Jacob. He scoffed, and looked in the other direction.

"I can." Sam agreed, deliberating over something in his mind. "But… Tell me something first."

"I can do that, I suppose…" I answered, tentatively. What did he want to know? I tried to probe around in his mind, but all I could catch was "_Should I?" _and _"Or maybe not…" _These wolves were very practiced in hiding their thoughts.

"Why are you here? Your family left. Why did you decide to come back now, of all times? I thought you didn't love Bella anymore?" Sam asked, noticing my wince at his last words.

"To tell the truth… I lied to Bella." I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "I always loved her, and I always will." I heard Jacob growl under his breath from across the clearing, but I continued as if I hadn't heard anything. "All I wanted for her was to have a normal life. I knew that there were only three options in my relationship with Bella. I could either change her; something I was very averse to doing. I could live with her for the rest of her human life, loving her even as she aged, but she refused that option. So, the only choice left for me was to leave. I wanted her to be able to grow, and to really experience life; to be an old woman, with kids, and grandkids, and friends. I didn't want her cursed to my life of secrecy and lies. I can't even go out in the sunlight without people noticing how different I am. I didn't want that for her. She deserved more than that."

_Yeah, you piece of shit! Of course she deserved more than that! But that doesn't mean you LIE to her, and leave her for dead in the woods! What the hell is wrong with you!? _Jacob shot his violent thoughts at me, once again. I let out a sigh, and continued on with my story to Sam.

"So, as I didn't think that she would just let me leave, knowing that I still loved her, I decided to hurt her. I decided to hurt her, to save her."

"That makes sense…" Sam muttered, a flash of memory going through his mind. In the brief glimpse I caught, I saw a beautiful teenage girl, with dark hair, and coppery skin, begging Sam for something. It sounded like she was asking him where he had been… The girl in his memory was crying, and seemed very distraught.

"Anyway," I continued, trying to tune out Sam's thoughts. "I thought that the best way to get her to let me go, and eventually get over me, was to tell her that I didn't love her anymore. I thought that if I left no traces of me left, she would, eventually, begin to forget about me. So I took her into the woods, and told her that my family was leaving, and that I felt no love for her anymore."

"Oh, that was smart! It didn't hurt her at all!" Jacob interrupted, again. "What the hell were you thinking, dumbass! 'Oh! I know! I'll just take her out into the woods, and tell her something life alteringly horrible! Nothing bad could _possibly_ happen! It's completely safe, and an absolutely brilliant idea! I'm sure she won't be found, hours later, comatose, on the ground! Ha-ha-ha! No, that would never happen! Now I'll just go rip out her heart, and jump on it!!!'" Jacob screamed, imitating my voice, and consumed with rage.

"Jacob!" Sam turned, glaring at him. "Calm. DOWN. Be quiet! Let Edward tell his story. Continue please."

"Thank you Sam." I replied, running my hands through my hair. I didn't want to tell Sam this whole story! I wanted to get on Victoria's trail! I wanted to hunt down that bitch, and rip her limb, from limb! "As I was saying, I had no intention of hurting her. I took her out into the woods, barely 100 feet from her house, and told her. I had no idea that she would try to follow me. If I had, I would have taped her to a chair or something…" I chuckled darkly, pain welling up inside me at the memory of her face when I told her I didn't want her anymore. Never had I seen something so horrifying as the shock, and hurt in her eyes. I would remember that look till the day I died. "Anyway, I left. For the next several months, I moved from place to place, trying to forget about Bella. I knew I never would be able to, but I thought if I distracted myself, I would be less tempted to return to her. Those months were sheer agony." I sighed, running my hand through my hair again. It was odd; the comfort I felt in divulging my past to this wolf, who was my natural enemy. He understood though. He had been forced into doing the same thing, to the girl in his memory.

"About a week ago, I decided to be selfish and come back." I continued. "I simply couldn't live without her any longer. I told myself that if she had found someone else, and had moved on, I would never darken her doorstep again. But, if she still wanted me, I would live with her for the rest of her life… I reached Forks a day later, and when I was within a few miles of Bella's house, I got a call from my sister, Alice. Alice had seen a vision of me returning, and finding Bella dead. I ran to her house, because I didn't believe it, but then I saw the newspaper clipping on her bed, and I knew it was true." I trailed off, the pain consuming my long dead heart. How did I ever think I could live without her? "And so, here I am. Ready to do whatever it takes to destroy her killer. Now, I beg of you, will you take me to the trail?"

"Yes. It will be faster if I run though." Sam replied, pulling off his jeans, and tying them to his ankle, before morphing into a giant wolf.

_Can you hear my thoughts when I am a wolf? _He asked me.

"Yes, I can hear you."

_Good. Now follow me. The trail starts about 4 miles to the east of Forks, and goes south. I believe she is headed for Oregon, or northern California. I doubt she would risk going any farther south than that. _

"You're probably right." I replied, anxious to get going. "Now, please, show me the trail."

"Wait a second!" Jacob yelled, causing Sam's head to swivel around to look at him. "If you think I'm going to let you be alone with this creep, you're insane. I'm going too." Jacob stripped his jeans off as well, pausing to give me a smug, self satisfied smile, and then morphed into a giant wolf.

_Well, let's get this show on the road, shall we? I want you out of here as soon as possible, Cullen. _Jacob snarled at me, quietly.

_Jacob, don't be a child. _Sam chastised him. _Now, Edward, follow me. _Sam took off into the woods, Jacob following swiftly behind him. I chased after them, and after several minutes of running, we reached the edge of a darkened road; long abandoned, and covered with weeds.

_The trail begins here. _Sam thought, nodding his nose in the direction of the trail. _We have had several wolves run it, so you may not be able to smell Victoria's scent very well, but that's where she was earlier today. Good luck. I hope you catch her. _

"Thank you Sam." I answered, glancing over at where I was to begin tracking her. "Thank you for your help. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a vampire to kill."

_What a coincidence. I've got a vampire to kill too! _Jacob thought, vindictively. He imagined breaking Sam's command, and leaping at me; ripping out my throat before I even had time to react.

"Hah. That would never happen. I'm much too quick for you."

_Oh yeah? Try me. _

_Jacob! ENOUGH! _

I laughed at Jacob; being forced to follow Sam's commands must be horrible.

"Again, thank you Sam. Goodbye now." I said one last time, before darting off into the forest. I locked in on the scent, and began following Victoria's trail through the forest.

"Victoria," I said, out loud; though there was no one there to hear me. "Remember that meeting I told you about last time? Well, I think it's going to be much sooner than I originally planned."

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**End notes: Whew! That one was a doozey! Well, now that we know what's been going on with Edward, we can get back to the juicy stuff, with Jacob and Bella. Jacob knows that Edward was looking for her! Will he tell her?! Who knows...**

**Tune in next time for the answer!**

***switches off radio***

**Now, show me some love in the reviews!**

**Edit: Due to some unclear writing on my part, I want to clear up why I wrote Edward in these chapters the way I did. I was trying to make him a realistic as possible, and, in my opinion, how I wrote him, is how he would react. Let me explain. Edward is totally, mindbogglingly, and utterly heartbroken over Bella's demise. Really, he is. But right now, he is a man on mission. He feels guilty for Bella's death, so he feels that he must avenge her killer. He knows that he cannot be an effective tracker, or killer, if he is laying on the ground in a blubbering mass! So, he is pushing his heartbreak to the side, for the time being, and channeling his sorrow into fury! He is using all his energy in becoming completely, and totally pissed off. He's channeling his feelings so that he can kill Victoria, and avenge Bella's death. As soon as he has killed Victoria, he has every intention of giving in to his despair, and running off to Italy to kill himself. But, for the time being, he knows that he cannot give in to his emotions, and let Victoria walk free. Because of this, he is very, very on edge, and emotionally strained. He's becoming almost hysterical from the effort to fight off the grief. So, when he laughs, it's not a real, happy, laugh; it is the laugh of a borderline insane person. **

**I hope that clears things up! I'm definitely going to make a few edits in this chapter to make it more clear, so if you notice any differences in the wording, that's why!**

**Thanks again for the feedback! It really, really helps me, to make this story the best it can possibly be!  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Lookie what I have here! It's the new chapter! Hooray! Now we're getting really into it. As always, I love reviews! They make me update faster.  
**

**Disclaimer: Me'sa no Stephenie Meyer, me'sa Jar-Jar-Binks! **

**Err... Well, not really. I'm not a bestselling author, nor am I a computer generated character, who lives on Naboo. **

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BPOV

"_Bella?"_

_It was Jacob. _

"Bella!" Jacob hurled himself at me, instantly enveloping me in what would have been a bone crushing hug, had I not had skin of stone. He was so astonished and hysterical with joy, he didn't notice how unusually cool my skin was, or how abnormally quickly I had been running.

"Bella, you're alive!" His giant, warm body began to shake, and I heard the unmistakable sounds of crying coming from him. Jacob sunk to his knees, pulling me down with him, and cradled me in his arms. I felt his hand stroke my hair, and I reached my hand around the back of his neck, pulling myself even closer to him. We just sat there on our knees; sat there and clutched each other. Jacob began to rock me; forward and back, forward and back, as if I were a sleeping baby. "You're alive Bella. You're alive." he sighed, over and over.

"We were so worried!" Jacob gasped, finally breaking out of his trance. "We thought Victoria had gotten you! When you disappeared, and no one could find any trace, we-"

"Jake!" I interrupted him, my heart breaking at the news I had to tell him. Why, why, why did this happen? We would have been so perfect for each other. Our future would have been beautiful. It would have been perfect. That happy future had been ripped from my clutches. I could barely bring myself to say the words that would bring Jake's happy moment to a violent end, so I spoke in barely a whisper. "Jake, Victoria did get me."

"What?" Jake asked, confused by what I had said.

"Victoria. She did catch me." I sighed, my heart sinking into the pit of my stomach.

"But you're still alive! Did she let you go!? I mean, you couldn't have escaped!" He said, shocked, as he untangled our limbs. He sprung to his feet, pulling me up with him. He held me at arm's length, so he could look me in the eye. I looked up at him pitifully, staring into the depths of his wide brown eyes. Suddenly, they widened in realization; he had finally seen that my eyes were blood red. The color of a vampire's eyes. The color of a killer.

"No." He whispered under his breath, his enormous frame beginning to crumple. He stepped back in shock, his face twisting with sorrow. The pain in his eyes…. It was unbearable. It punched a hole straight through my heart. The pain I felt when Edward left? I would take that a hundred times, over this agony. At least then it had only been me who was suffering, and I was not the one who was causing others pain. Jacob staggered back several steps, tripping over his own, oversized feet.

_I'm sorry Jake! I'm so, so sorry. _ I screamed internally. Why couldn't I get myself to say it out loud!?

"Jake… I-"

"NO! No, no, no, no, no!" Jacob screamed turning and punching a tree in half with anger. He took a few rasping breaths, desperately trying to regain control of his rampant emotions, and failing miserably.

"Victoria didn't! She can't have! Please, tell me I'm wrong! Tell me anything! Anything other than what I think."

"Jake-" My perfect voice cracked, the familiar stinging sensation behind my eyes, returning. "I wish I could, but I can't. It's exactly what you think." Jake sunk to the ground, and buried his face in his hands. I could hear his every breath; each one slow, and purposeful. He was trying to keep himself from crying again. He sat like a statue, his eyes glazed over, staring off into the distance.

"Jake…" I whispered, trying to get him to look at me. "Jake, are you ok?"

_Oh, Jake! What have I done? He looks freaking comatose!_

"Jake, I'm so sorry!" I sobbed, desperate to get anything out of him. He hated me. I knew he would, and I should have been more prepared for the staggeringly painful sting of rejection.

_You knew this would happen, idiot. I shouldn't have come back. I can't expect Jake to completely alter his view on vampires, just because I've become one. I need to leave. This was a horrible idea. I need to run; run and never, ever look back. Run forever. Everything will be ok, as long as I keep running._

"_Sorry?!" _He spat back at me, looking up. _ "What_ do you have to be _sorry_ about!? You didn't choose this, and it sure as hell isn't your fault! This is my fault! I should have told Embry to run patrol alone! I should have stayed with you. I'm the one at fault here. What happened to you; what you suffered because of me…" He shuddered, covering his face with his hands again.

"So, you're not mad at me?" I gasped. I had been terrified that he would despise me! He turned, looking at me like I was insane.

"MAD at you?! I'm not mad at you!" He scoffed. "I'm just so happy you're alive! Or…. Well, you know what I mean. I am FURIOUS at that redheaded bitch. She will not be around much longer, if I have anything to say about it."

"Oh, Jake!" I yelled, throwing myself at him. I couldn't contain my joy any longer, and I tackled him to the ground; hugging him in an Emmett worthy fashion.

"Whoa!" He yelled, surprised by my violent hug. He landed flat on his back, and I curled into his side, just taking comfort in his presence. He slowly realized I wasn't going to do anything else to him, and Jake put his hand on my back, gently tracing the length of my spine with his hands. We lay there, listening to the sounds of the forest, and staring up at the night sky.

_**Yeah Bella… Enjoy it while you can. **_A little voice in the back of my head whispered**. **_**Sooner or later he'll get used to the idea of you being alive, and then he'll remember that you are his natural enemy. You are not meant to be together. If you had, you wouldn't be the monster you are now. **_

_Shut up! _I yelled at it weakly. _Jake still loves me! We can be happy! He's immortal too, you know. _

_**Yeah, but he's still part human. What happens when you get too thirsty? What if you take a note out of Jaspers book, and make a leap at Jake? How would you live with yourself? **_

_I wouldn't… Besides, he smells awful! Not like food at all._

_**What if you weren't careful, and hurt him? He may be strong, but what if you hurt him?**_

_I won't hurt him! I can't._

_**Oh, but you could, and you would. Are you going to force Jacob to be 17 forever? Would you make him repeat high school with you for eternity? **_

_No! _I cried, horrified at how seductively correct the voice sounded. _He wouldn't have to repeat high school. We could go to college sometimes. We wouldn't even have to go to school! We could live out in the middle of nowhere, away from everyone!_

_**So you're going to take him away from his family? You know that Sam won't let you live on the reservation, even if you are careful. You can't take Jacob away from his friends, and his family, and his duty to the pack. **_

I was silent.

_**Besides, are you going to take away his chance for children? Jacob would be a wonderful father. You can never provide him with that. Face it; you're not good enough for him.**_

_But he loves me… _

_**If you really loved him, you'd leave, and give him the chance at a normal life… Give him a chance at life, with a girl who deserves him… **_

The voice faded away, disappearing like smoke into the wind. The only thing left was the horrible sense of dread. It was right. I would be a monster if I did that to him. I laid on the ground, curled in Jake's arms for a long time, mulling over this revelation.

"So, where have you been?" Jake whispered, interrupting my thoughts, and gently stroking my hair. I looked up at him, and was startled by look he was giving me. He met my eyes steadily, his face filled with such an expression of love, and adoration, that it nearly took my breath away.

"You know, I'm not sure." I whispered back, unable to take my eyes from his.

_Look at that face. He loves me so much…. I can't hurt him._

"The best guess I can make," I continued, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Is that I was somewhere up in Canada. Alberta maybe. It took me almost two days of constant running to get back here, from wherever I was. I… err… _woke up_ in a clearing, and there were two men there. They thought I had been injured. They kept trying to help, but-"

"Bella…. You didn't-" Jake sat up; horrified at the false conclusion he had drawn. He searched my eyes again, as if searching for some evidence of a meal.

"No! Of course I didn't!" I slapped him lightly on the shoulder. Or, at least I thought it was lightly. Judging from his wince, I guess it wasn't. "It was really hard to resist though. Eventually they left, and as soon as they did, I bolted off in the other direction. I ran away for hours and hours," I sighed, nestling closer into his warm body. "So I might have run right back into Washington for all I know. After I decided to come back, I just followed my trail back to the clearing, then followed Victoria's trail back here."

"You could follow it?! Sam tried at least ten times to follow that trail, but it never went anywhere!" Jacob exclaimed, shocked that I was able to find my way home.

"Yeah, it was easy! You guys couldn't follow it?"

"Um, no! Otherwise I would have come and found you! You wouldn't have had to wake up alone."

"Oh." I said. That was weird… I had no trouble following it. "Well, maybe it was like doing a maze backwards. It's easier to find your way to the entrance, from the end, than it is to find your way to the end, from the entrance."

"I guess that makes sense." Jacob sighed, conceding. He lay back down on the ground, and pulled me back into his arms. "You know Bells..." He sighed, looking up at the dark, cloud covered sky. "I used to be terrified of you becoming one of them. I thought it would suck-no pun intended- every good thing about you away, and that you wouldn't be Bella anymore. But, it's not _that _bad… you're still you! I mean, you're kinda creepy looking right now, and the whole wanting-to-eat-people-all-the-time thing isn't that hot, but you're still you!" I hit him again, and stuck my tongue out.

"Oh, and you're definitely embracing a different wardrobe." He smirked at me, as he ran his eyes over the shredded button-up I was still wearing. "That part, I like."

"Ha-ha, you're so funny." I rolled my eyes at him, and stood up in a flash. "I need some new clothes. No way in hell I'm wearing this longer than I have to. That's actually what I was on my way to do, when you so rudely interrupted me!" I put my hands on my hips, and mock-glared down at him.

"Now," I teased, turning to walk away. "If you'll excuse me, I am off to go get some more clothes. I prefer **not** to have creepy werewolves leer at me."

"Alright, alright. Wait up." Jake called, hopping to his feet before I could take another step. "I'm coming with you. I _guess _I can help you get more clothes, although I do like the homeless look you have going here. Very hip." He laughed at me, and walked over to where I was standing, tapping my foot in impatience. He stood directly in front of me, and as he looked down at me, his teasing manner suddenly vanished.

"Bella… You don't know how glad I am that you're alive. This past week, thinking you were dead, has been hell." Jake whispered, in a raspy voice.

I looked up into his face, and saw a steely determination form in his eyes. He slowly placed his hand on the side of my face, and stroked my cheekbone with his thumb. The look in his eyes both scared and excited me, and the sensation of his hand cupping my face sent chills of pleasure up my spine. I held my breath as I gazed into his eyes, transfixed by the love I saw there. Very slowly, he leaned in, and gently kissed me. I sighed, and kissed him back, raising my arms to wrap them around his neck.

_How can something that is so perfect, and so right, make me feel this awful about myself?_

_**Because, you can't hurt him. If you loved him, you would leave. Leave, and not let him follow.**_

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_**End Notes: Leave someone, because you love them... Now where have I heard that before? Hmm....**_

_**Reviews for hugs! (And quicker updates!)  
**_


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Whoo-hoo! You guys are killing it with the reviews! Also, I was looking through the list of traffic to this story, and I noticed that I had a reader from Croatia, and a reader from Gibraltar! My mind has been blown. What country are ****you reading from? Tell me in your review! I think it's pretty awesome that anyone who I don't personally know is reading this, much the less people from other countries! **

**Disclaimer: At this point, I think you get the idea. I'm not Stephenie Meyer. Nope. Never have been, and never will be. Unless I change my name. Which would be creepy.**

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BPOV

"Jake," I said, as we were running through the forest. "How did Charlie… You know… take _it_?" My voice cracked on the last word, the stinging sensation forming behind my eyes, once again. "Is Charlie okay, Jake? I mean, he has to think I'm dead."

"Oh." Jake mumbled, slowing down to a quick walk. His sudden stop surprised me, and I didn't notice he wasn't beside me, till I was a hundred feet in front of him. I turned around, and dashed back to his side. Jake sighed, running his hands through his hair. "Not good. He's been in… He's been in pretty bad shape. The day you disappeared, he was frantic; he was running around everywhere; organizing search parties, calling up other police departments… He asked Sam to go look through the woods, since he was the one who had found you last time. Of course, we were already searching for you, but it made Charlie feel better, knowing."

"What about when they couldn't find me? What does Charlie think happened to me?" I whispered, raggedly.

_What have I done? _I thought, disgusted with myself. _You used to _want _this. You begged Edward to turn you! What the hell is wrong with you?!_

"Well, Charlie is still looking. He doesn't know what to look FOR though. I mean, there were no signs of an abduction, and you wouldn't just run away. Plus, Charlie doesn't really have any enemies, except for kids who he's caught drinking, and they wouldn't kidnap you. There are no footprints, no fingerprints, and no DNA left behind in your room. The pack could smell that there was a vampire, but we couldn't exactly tell that to Charlie, could we?" Jake snorted, but furrowed his brow in concern. "I'm really worried about him Bells. He's been terrified for the last week; he's hardly slept, or eaten. He's in a panic to find you; it's all he can think about. Hell, Dad had to _force _him to come and get something to eat with him. This can't be good for Charlie. Besides, he just lost Harry. Now he's losing you on top of it? I don't know if he's going to survive this…" Jake trailed off, regretfully. It was obvious that he didn't want to tell me this bleak news.

"Oh my God." I gasped, sinking down onto the ground, and burying my face in my hands. "What am I going to do?! I can't let him think I'm dead! Not if it's going to kill him!" I was horrified at what I had done!

_Why, why, why did you ever have to fall in love with a vampire?! You stupid idiot! It's only brought you heartache, and misery. _

_**Now, you know that's a lie. **_That blasted voice whispered, popping out of nowhere. _**Remember the meadow? I hardly think that was miserable….**_

_God, shut UP! _I screamed in my head at the voice, desperately trying to fight off the onslaught of memories, of me and Edward on that wonderful day, in the meadow. _I wish I had never met Edward. Everything would be ok if I hadn't met him. I just wish he had never come here._

_**No you don't. That's a lie. Stop lying to yourself, Bella… **_The voice faded away, like someone turning down the volume on the radio.

"Bella? Are you listening to me?" Jake interrupted my thoughts, gently shaking my arm. "I _said, _what are you planning on doing? You can't let Charlie know what happened to you, obviously, but maybe you can let him know you're alive…" He trailed off, staring off into the distance. "He can't see you, otherwise he would know that something really weird had happened, and it would freak him out more than he already is."

"I know." I blubbered, my hand instinctively reaching up to wipe away my nonexistent tears. "Maybe I could write him a letter, or something; tell him I've run off, and am going to college somewhere. That way he'd at least know I was alive"

_Goodness, calm down Bella! Being hysterical isn't going to help you come up with a solution. _

"You know," I sobbed, a frenzied thought popping into my head. "For someone who can't cry, I sure as hell cry a lot!"

"Yeah," Jake chuckled, putting his hand on my back. "I guess you do. Well, you never did anything the normal way, anyhow… But you know, that could work!" Jake changed the subject, trying to cheer me up. "The thing about telling Charlie you're alive, but not letting him see you. Of course, you'd have to come up with a pretty good excuse. Just running away, isn't something you'd do. You're too sensible for that. Plus, without a high school diploma, how are you going to get into college? That would make even less sense. You'd have to come up with a logical reason for you to leave."

"Yeah… I see what you mean. I definitely would never have run away from home, and I haven't graduated yet. I can come up with something though, I'm sure…" I trailed off, attempting to comfort myself.

_You'll be able to figure something out. You have to. Charlie will never have to know what exactly happened to you; he won't have to be put in danger. _I reassured myself. My hopelessly bleak mood began to pick up, with this light of hope dancing before my eyes. _You'll be able to tell Charlie that you're alive, and no one will have to get hurt. Everything will be ok…_ My thought trailed off, as the image of Jacob popped to the forefront of my mind. I still didn't know what I was going to do about that sticky issue. I loved Jake; loved him with all of what was left of my damaged heart. That's what made this decision so damn hard! It would break both our hearts if I left; I know I, at the very least, would be desolate for the rest of eternity. But on the other hand, if I DID leave him, he wouldn't have to sacrifice anything to be with someone. If I left, he'd be able to find another girl; one who deserved him. One who wasn't damaged goods. Someone who hadn't already given her heart away, and would be able to give Jake everything he deserved. Jake would be hurt by my departure in the short run, but in the long run, he would be better off. I would be the only one suffering in that equation. I could handle my own pain, but the moment that my actions hurt someone else, it became unbearable.

_No! No, no, no! I do NOT want to leave Jake! _My heart screamed in protest. The grief I knew I would put my heart through, terrified me. Just anticipating it caused me to shudder, and reminded me of those first, horrible months, after Edward left. But my head was saying something else…

_If you loved Jake, you would leave. Are you going to be so selfish a person, as to steal your love's life away from him? You're going to let Jacob waste his life with you, just so your dainty little heart won't have to hurt? You delicate little pansy! Man up, for God's sake. _

"Bella… Did you hear one word that I said?" Jake asked tentatively, interrupting my reverie. This was the second time in less than thirty seconds that he had to pull me out of my thought. He must really think I'm crazy now.

"Oh!" I jumped, recollecting what Jacob had said. "Let me think about it Jake, I'm sure I can come up with something." On the last word, I noticed that Jake wasn't looking at my face. His eyes seemed to have glazed over; focusing on a point about eight inches below my chin. I looked down, and saw that my tattered shirt had fallen open, leaving a horrifying amount of cleavage on display. If I had been human, I would have been beet-red by this point. I yanked the shirt closed, snapping at Jake.  
"Eyes up here mister! Now, I'm going. I'm getting really tired of this stupid, ratty shirt." I leaped to my feet, irately tapping my foot, and glaring down at the guilty party.

"Aww!" Jake moaned, putting on his best puppy-dog eyes. "But I like that shirt! It's very stylish. I hear that grunge is the new black!"

"You are so funny." I quipped, sarcastically. "If you're going to be crude, I'm leaving." I droned, before dashing off.

"Ugh, wait for me." Jake groaned, as he lugged himself off the ground.

After less than two minutes of running, I reached my house. I stopped below my old, now dark, window, and looked up hesitantly at it.

_If you do this, there's no going back. If you run now, you can try to forget about your old life, and begin with a clean slate. _I thought, tensely. It would be so much easier to leave now, and never come back, but wanted to see my old life! I wanted to be able to remember what color my bedspread was, and where I used to keep my hairbrush! When I had been transformed into a vampire, I had lost all of those minute details. I still knew who I was, but I wanted to remember the little things I used to do. I wanted to remember, but was it worth the pain? If I left now, I wouldn't ever have to remember my old life; I could try to ignore my past, and move on. If I saw my old room, I would never be able to forget it. I would have to carry the memories of my old life- the life that I had been ripped away from- for the rest of eternity. I wouldn't be able to disregard my human world, because I would have tangible proof of its existence!

_You don't want to move on! Just go! Jump! Make the leap! It may hurt to know, but it will hurt more to NOT know. Just jump, for goodness sake! _The thought steadied me, and, at almost the same moment that Jacob burst out of the forest behind me, I leaped to the window ledge. I grasped the edge of the sill, and gingerly opened the window.

"Bella, wait! I think Charlie's here!" Jacob whispered, attempting to halt my little espionage mission. But his frantic attempts were too late; I had already landed in my room. The moment my feet touched the floor, my senses were besieged by the most overwhelmingly delicious scent I had ever experienced. My throat ripped into flames, and venom pooled in my mouth.

_Where is that coming from!? _My frantic mind shouted, desperate to find the source of the tantalizing scent.

Suddenly, I felt something move behind me. I growled, whipping around to leap at the flicker of movement.

"Bella!?" The man choked, as I wrapped my ice cold fingers around his throat.

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**End notes: Ooooooooooooooooooooh... What's going to happen now?! **

**On another note, being the theatre geek that I am, I went and saw Young Frankenstine last night. Upon arrival at the theatre, I realized that Roger Bart was playing Fredrick Frankenstine!!!!!! *insert geeky squeal* If you've ever seen the remake of The Producers, you've seen him. He played Carmen Ghia, an extremely gay man, who works for Roger. He was the original Carmen Ghia on Broadway, in The Producers, and the original Fredrick Frankenstine in Young Frankenstine, also on Broadway. ANYWAY, after the show, I waited out by the stage door, and got his autograph!!! *Insert a super, insanely loud geeky squeal here* **

**And now I'm done bragging. **

**Review, review, review! It only takes thirty seconds, and it means the world to me!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Here we are, once again. We have got to stop meeting like this! *blushes* As always, review, review, review! I am a silly woman, who seeks validation! Feed my addiction! Reviews make me update faster!**

**Also, since several of my favorite ff's have sadly ended, I am lacking in good ff to read! If you have any recommendations, tell me in the reviews, or shoot me a PM!**

**Disclaimer: Yeah. I don't own this. I DO however, own a handmade Potter Puppet Pals Snape, plush! He is adorable!**

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BPOV

"Bella!" Jacob wheezed, as he ripped my hands off his throat. He stumbled back, and leaned against the wall, gasping for breath. The tantalizing scent was quickly overwhelmed by Jacob's wet-dog smell, and I began to regain my head.

"Oh my God, Jake! I'm so sorry!" I gasped, horrified at what I had just done.

_I just attacked Jake! I said I could never hurt him! I could have killed him! _A wave of horror and shame washed over me, consuming my every thought.

_This is turning out to be one of the most emotional days of my life._ _Can't SOMETHING happen that isn't life-changingly dramatic? _

_**What did I tell you? You weren't meant to be together. If you were, you wouldn't be able to hurt him. **_

_Shut up, shut up, shut UP!!!! _I screamed internally, my frustration causing me to growl under my breath.

"Bella, what the hell is wrong with you?!" Jake whispered roughly at me. His eyes were filled with hurt, and anger.

"I don't know!" I sighed, my face twisting with remorse. "All I know is that as soon as I got in here, I smelled this delicious scent, and something snapped. I couldn't control myself. When you jumped in the window, I assumed you were the source of the smell, I guess…" I trailed off, my voice getting quieter and quieter.

"You were going to try and kill me, weren't you." Jake whispered. It wasn't a question. He knew the answer.

"Yes." I mumbled, in a small voice. I was ashamed of myself. I had been ready to kill Jake! What the hell was wrong with me?! "The scent caught me off guard. Last time I think I was able to resist killing those guys, because I knew that they were there; I was expecting it. It didn't take me by surprise, so I had time to steel my nerve… Jake, I'm sorry!" As I spoke these words, I saw Jakes put his hand over his face, and message his temple; trying to process what I had just done. In that moment, I think it finally hit him that I was no longer the sweet, clumsy, human girl he once knew; I was now a killer; bloodthirsty, and deadly. No matter how hard I tried to control it, there would always be that menacing part of me, lurking beneath the surface. I held my breath, not wanting to take any chance of hurting Jake again.

"You knew this would happen. Take it in stride, take it in stride" Jake mumbled under his breath, attempting to calm himself.

"Jake… I-"

"Wait." Jake interrupted, glancing up at me suddenly. "If the scent was affecting you so much earlier, then why aren't you going crazy now?"

"Oh… Well…" I sighed, running my fingers through my hair, and taking a deep, but hesitant breath. I almost gagged at the horrible stench that wafted through the air.

"Honestly? It's because you came in. You kind of… You reek, Jake. You kinda' overwhelmed the other smell." My mouth twisted up in a grimace; why was this so awkward? If Jake had smelled bad when I was human, I certainly would have no qualms telling him so. Maybe it was because he smelled so much worse now. It certainly wasn't _unbearable_, and, if I didn't think about it, I didn't notice it very much. But it certainly wasn't pleasant.

"Me?" Jake snorted, his mood visibly lightening. "What about you, Miss Bella? You smell like Icy Hot, and bleach!" Jake swaggered over to me, and rested his wrists on my shoulders, a smug smirk on his adorable face. "Out of the two of us, I'm the one who smells the best!"

"Speaking of smells," I interjected, carefully listening for any signs of life within the house. "Charlie's not here. So, what was that? The smell that made me go psycho-serial-killer on you." I teased. What on earth could that smell have been?! It smelled amazing! Like… Strawberries, almost.

"Oh. Bells, we're in _your _room. That smell is you. Or, the _human_ you. Like I said, you smell nasty now." Jake teased back.

_That smell is me? _

"Holy shit!" I whispered, my eyes getting as big as saucers. "That smell is _me_? Oh my God, I smelled amazing! No wonder Jasper took a bite at me!" I was shocked! I mean, I knew that I had smelled good to Edward, but I didn't think I smelled _that _good! My scent made me go crazy, and it was a week old!

"Well yeah... I mean, some of is. Charlie has been in here too. Pretty recently by the smell of it. I guess he finally got up the nerve. After you vanished, he couldn't bring himself to come in here, after the one time he came in to do a search for your stuff."

"Poor Charlie..." My heart ached dully at the thought of him. I pushed the thought away, focusing instead on the scent around me.

_Imagine how hard it must have been for Edward to avoid killing you! _I thought, suddenly awestruck by his monumental effort to keep me alive. Or, at least, the monumental effort he displayed, at first.

"He WHAT?!" Jacob yelled, suddenly breaking the quiet. His sudden anger made me jump, and flinch out of habit. I knew he wouldn't hurt me; Jacob _couldn't _hurt me. Not like I had hurt him, both physically and emotionally. Never like I had hurt him.

"Yeah," I mumbled, my dead heart aching dully. "It was one of the reasons they left. Remember how I had those stitches on my arm when Sam, um, found me? Well, Alice had thrown me an 18th birthday party, and Jasper lost control. Edward pushed me out of the way, but he kind of shoved me into some glass plates… It's ok though. It was an accident." I continued in a monotone. It was an accident, and I didn't blame Jasper, but it still hurt to think about. No matter how long I lived, I knew I would always love Edward Cullen. Damn him. I could try as hard as I could, to give my whole heart to Jake, but it would never work. It was still marked "Property of Edward Cullen". Damnit.

"Those two bastards had better hope I never catch up with them!" Jake growled, his massive form shaking with anger. "If I do, I will kick their asses, then rip them limb from limb!"

"Jake, Jake, calm down!" I soothed, putting my hands on either side of his face. "It's in the past now. It was an accident. Calm. Down."

Jake's shaking slowly decreased, and I looked into his brown eyes; wide with emotion.

"Jake," I said, trying to distract him. "Let's do what we came for, and then leave. Charlie could be back at any time. Look; it's starting to get light outside." I motioned to the slowly lightening sky, outside. The dull, gray, morning light was already starting to make my skin shimmer slightly. I walked over to my dresser, and steeled myself before opening the drawer that was full of clothes, that were surely saturated with my human scent.

_No more crazy freakouts, Bella. You know what's coming. There is no food here! No food! _

I inhaled once more, steadying my nerves, before yanking open the drawers. The tantalizing scent permeated the air, hitting me full force, like a battering ram. I could feel my instinct begin to kick in, but I fought against it gaining control. I would keep my mind; I would not lose control, and hurt Jake again. After several seconds of an intense mental battle, I was able to force my instinct away, and have complete control of my mind. I sighed in relief, and slowly began digging through my old clothes.

"Jake," I asked, without turning around. "Can you get my backpack out of the closet? I need to take a lot of clothes." Who knew when I was going to get another chance to have access to them? It's not like I had money. I had a bank account with a little bit in it, but I couldn't take any without Charlie finding out.

_Charlie… _I sighed internally, pausing as I pulled clothes out of the drawer. _I miss him so much… I just wish there was a way to tell him that I'm still alive! Maybe if I-_

"Bells, what is this?" Jake called from the closet. I turned around and saw him clutching a dusty garbage bag, the heavy objects inside straining painfully against the plastic. I sucked in a horrified breath. It was _their _bag. The one full of my birthday presents.

"Jake! Don't touch that! Put it back, put it back!" I gasped, panic stricken. My shocked face startled Jacob, and he dropped the bag. The contents spilled out on the floor, silver boxes tumbling out of the plastic. I dashed over to Jacob's feet, and began hastily shoving everything back into the bag. Jacob stood above me, looking down with confusion at my odd behavior.

_Why does this matter so much to me?! Why does it hurt so much to look at these presents? I can talk about them; I talked about Jasper trying to bite me, and it didn't hurt at all! Why is this effecting me so much?_

But I knew the answer. I could talk about Jasper, because when he had attacked me, it was just an accident. No emotions were involved. When I saw these presents, it reminded me that, at one time, the Cullens had cared for me. It was easier to accept their leaving, if I pretended they had never cared for me at all. And now here I was, with that proof staring me in the face.

_Why does this hurt so much? They've been gone for almost a year! Get over yourself, Bella!_

_**It hurts because you know you were meant to be with them. You weren't just morning for a lost boyfriend, you were mourning for a lost future; a future in which you would have lived with the Cullens forever, and been completely, and blissfully happy. You knew when Edward left, you didn't just lose a lover, you lost an eternity of happiness. **_

_I… No… I want to be with Jacob. The Cullens left. That's the end of it. I'll never see them again, so it doesn't matter. _I tried, unsuccessfully to push away my emotions, just as I was pushing away the presents.

_**You may want to be with Jacob, but you were meant to be with the Cullens. Eternity is a long time; you may see them again, yet. **_

"Be quiet!" I mumbled, under my breath as I shoved the now full garbage bag back into the closet, and slammed its door, accidently cracking the frame.

_I'm getting pretty damn tired of not knowing what I want. _

"I didn't say anything!" Jacob began, turning his shocked face to mine. "What was that stuff?"

"Oh…" I muttered, hesitant to tell him the answer. I sighed, steeling my nerve. "They were presents from the Cullens for my 18th birthday. After they left, I could never bring myself to open them."

"Oh." Jacob said in a monotone, obviously upset by the fact that they still had such a hold over me.

"But, that's in the past now." I comforted him, walking over and placing my hand on his shoulder. I searched the depths of his brown eyes, and tried to convey how sorry I was. "It doesn't matter anymore. That was in another lifetime. I'm going to put it behind me, and move on."

He looked down at me, disbelievingly.

"Listen, Jake." I changed the subject, trying to distract him. "Can you leave for a second? I have to change." I really did need to change, but that wasn't my reason for asking him to leave. I really just needed a moment alone. It was just easier to say that I needed to change, then to explain that I needed a moment to grieve, one last time.

"Yeah, sure." He muttered, walking out into the hall, and quietly shutting my door behind him.

I stood still for a moment, watching the closed door; as if afraid it would spring open again at any second. Then, I pulled a shirt and jeans out of my drawer, and began to change. After I had pulled on the heavy flannel button-down and a pair of my jeans, I started to walk over to my bed to sit down. I wanted to feel the wonderful comfortable nostalgia of lying down in my own bed, one more time. After this, I promised myself I would never return to my old life. I would have to leave forever, and start anew, if I ever wanted to be able to be a functional person. This was my way of saying goodbye.

On the third step, I paused; noticing a slight difference in the way my steps on the wooden floor sounded.

"That's odd…" I muttered, stepping on the floorboard once again. Yep. There was that sound again! How weird. It didn't sound as hollow as the rest of the floor... Like there was something underneath it. But I never put anything under my floorboards…

"What _is_ that?" I murmured, kneeling down to examine the source of the sound. I stroked my fingers along the edge of the seam, between the boards. There were slight indentation marks, where it felt like someone had pried up the board. I gingerly grasped at the edges of it, and began to pull it out from its place in the floor. After a few moments of gentle tugging, the board came up, revealing a long box, concealed between the beams. It was long, black, and unlabeled. I pulled it out of its hiding place, and set it in my lap, before opening the lid.

As I looked inside the seemingly inoffensive box, my stomach dropped through the floor, and I let out a terrified gasp. I reached out a trembling hand to pick up the picture that lay on the top of the stack of items, and held it up in front of my horrified face. No, there was no mistaking it. It was the picture of Edward and me on my 18th birthday.

The picture I thought he'd destroyed.

The picture he left here, for me to find.

_What does this mean?!_

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**End Notes: Hah! Do you like that little twist I threw in there? You all thought it was Charlie, but it WASN'T! **

**Now, take that cute little cursor of yours, and push the review button! Feed my addiction I say! FEED IT!**

**Nom nom nom.**

_**Edit: Hmm... Not sure what happened with that coding that somehow got stuck in the middle of my story, but I've fixed it now! No more random codes!**  
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	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Well, here we are. I have an announcement to make. *takes breath* After much deliberating over the past week, I have decided not to continue What Becomes of the Brokenhearted. I just don't have it in me to write it, any more. With school, and theatre, and everything else I'm involved with, I just don't have time for it any more. This will be the last chapter. I apologize for this, and I have something else to tell you...**

**GOTCHA'! **

**MUAHAHAHAHAHAAHHA, I was completely messing with you! Don't worry, I am going to keep writing WBOTBH! I love writing it! What I really needed to tell you was ****that I'm sorry for how long this took to update! I really have been extremely busy. Plus, my go to girl hasn't been at home for me to run my stuff by her! You know who you are...**

**Anyway, sorry for the scare, I just couldn't help myself. **

**This is rather a short chapter, and definitely not the one you want, but we had to see what was going on in Edward's neck of the woods! **

**Oh, and one more thing. I asked for some ff recs last time, and I didn't get a SINGLE ONE! *tear* Not a single one. This saddens me. I'm still looking for some new fics, and I would love you forever if you could give me some recommendations! Shoot me a PM, or tell me in your review. **

**Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer, and I do not own the characters. I do however own a Nuns Having Fun calender. Yes. It's a real thing, go look it up.**

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EPOV

"ARRRRRRRRRRG!" I screamed, hurling my fist into the nearest tree. The huge tree shivered, and then broke in two, its enormous limbs crashing to the ground. I pulverized the trunk, my fists flying furiously as I turned the 200 year old oak into a pile of sawdust.

_Gone._

*punch*

_Gone!_

*punch*

_GONE!_

*punch*

Everything was gone. First… Bella was gone, now Victoria. Again. We had been keeping up this asinine dance for almost a week now. After I left Forks, I tracked Victoria all the way to Atlanta, where I almost caught her. She had been within my grasp, and I had missed the opportunity…

_Flashback_

_I dove at Victoria, reaching out to rip her fiery head from her neck. But as I leaped at her, she flitted to the side, away from bloodthirsty hands. _

"_Little boys shouldn't play with fire!" Victoria cackled, reveling in my fury. "They'll get their fingers burnt!" _

_I growled ferally, my vision tinted with red. _

"_Oh! Well look who's sensitive!" She sneered, easily evading me. In my rage, I was getting sloppy. _

_Suddenly, her brow furrowed slightly, and I heard a single thought flit through her mind. _

"_I wonder if…" _

"_Edward," she said out loud, beginning to circle around me, but making no move to attack. "Why are you chasing me? I have not come after your family, nor have I attacked you. Why now do you decide to pursue me?" She crossed her arms, and raised one eyebrow at me. _

"_You know why!" I screamed, desperately trying to not say the words, as if saying it would make it more real. _

"_Oh yes. I killed your little girlfriend, didn't I" She drawled, rolling her eyes. "I thought you didn't care about her anymore. I figured you wouldn't mind if I took a bite… She did taste __**delicious**__!" I let out a gasp of agony as I saw Victoria's memory. It was of Bella, clasping at her throat, as Victoria held her in the air. She was dying. Victoria was remembering killing her. I fought to stay upright as I heard Bella, in Victoria's memory, choke out three simple words._

"_He left me."_

_A sob escaped, as another memory flitted to the surface of Victoria's mind. It must have only been seconds later that this event occurred, for, to my horror, I saw the image of Victoria biting Bella. She remembered the sweet taste of Bella's blood, and of the feeling of draining the life out of her. _

_My agonized cry broke the silence, and I hurled myself at Victoria, with unbridled fury. Of course, she easily dodged my clumsy attack, and turned around to face me, one last time._

"_So, you do love her?" She asked, impatiently. I tried to delve into her thoughts, to see what was causing this odd question, but, to my dismay, all I could hear was her reciting Robert Frost poems, in Spanish.  
_

_"Yes!" I screamed, my emotions getting wildly out of control. There was no hope of me catching her in this condition. "I always have, and I always will!"_

"_Huh." She snorted, throwing one last memory at me, before darting off into the forest. _

_I saw Bella laying dead on the ground, her body broken, and her bloodstained shirt wrapped around her tiny, lifeless form. I wish I could say that her face looked peaceful in death, but it did not. Features frozen, and twisted in agony, she looked like someone who had endured a very painful demise. My knees gave out from under me, and I sank to the ground, bowing my head in humiliation, and morning._

_I knew at that moment, that I would never be able to forget that horrifying image. _

_End flashback_

Now I stood in the mountains of North Georgia, furious, and desperate. Victoria's trail had gone dead. I couldn't find her.

I punched the tree again, sinking all my anger into each throw. Victoria would have been dead by now, if it weren't for my ineptness. I was the failure!

Me.

Edward Cullen, the world's only incompetent vampire.

I couldn't keep Bella safe when she was alive, and now I was so pathetic, I couldn't even avenge her death! I choked back a sob, and rested my head against what was left of the tree. My hands tangled in my hair, as I sobbed in anguish. I cried. I cried for Bella, and I cried for myself. Why had I ever left her? She was a beacon; the moon in my dark, empty sky. She was the center of my universe, and the only thing that gave me a reason for living this vile, half-life. She was my other half, and the only person who could bring out the best in me. She had a talent for that… She made me want to be a better… man. And yet, somehow, with all that beauty and soul, she was still humble. For some asinine reason, she had thought she was lucky to have me! Oh no, she was _cursed _to love me. I was the one who was lucky to have her; that angel of life, and love.

I exhaled slowly, my dead heart feeling like it was being ripped in two. But, I relished the pain. I deserved it. I deserved to suffer for as long as my miserable existence lasted. And, for once, I was glad that I didn't have a soul. I should go to hell; soulless monster that I was. I ought to burn for eternity, for killing Bella. For, I was the one who killed her! Victoria was merely the executioner. I was the one who had failed to protect Bella, by dragging that seraph into my world of darkness.

I dropped to the ground, and curled up like an infant on the red clay, allowing myself to be overcome with the emotions I had been pushing aside for a week. Memories of Bella flooded my mind; our day in the meadow, and how accepting she had been of me. She hadn't even blinked when I told her what I truly was. It didn't seem to phase her at all that I lived off of blood! Even when I told her that I had killed people before, she didn't mind.

I rolled over onto my back, and stared up at the overcast Georgia sky, as ripples of sorrow flowed through my veins. My arms ached for Bella; I wanted to hold her again… One last time…

But that was not possible.

She was dead.

_In heaven now. _

_Out of my reach. _

I closed my stinging eyes, and envisioned what heaven must look like, with Bella in it. I could see her in my mind's eye, bathed in light, and eternally youthful. She was dancing through the clouds, her white dress flowing behind her, and a whimsical smile on her beautiful face. Her head turned, and as she looked directly at me, her face broke into a grin. Slowly, she reached out her hand towards me, beckoning me forward.

"I love you." I could hear her say, the voice in my memory barely doing her justice.

"I love you too." I murmured, as the vision evaporated. I could feel raindrops beginning to fall upon my skin, but I didn't care. Slowly, the clay beneath me turned to red, runny mud, yet I did not move. I lay there in the rain, allowing my repressed emotions to take hold of me, just for a little while, before the chase began again.

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**End Notes: There we have it, Edward is wallowing in the mud, and in his own depression. Good for you, buddy. **

**Now, review, review, review, and tell me how much you hate me for scaring you!  
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	14. Chapter 14

**_AN: _Soooo.... Here we are... Again... Almost a month later... *shuffles feet* I'm sorry guys! School has really been kicking my butt lately! AND, I was just in a production of Steel Magnolias, where I played Truvy, so I have had zero time. I'm really, really sorry! *Looks up pitifully* Can you ever forgive me? I swear I will try to get the next chapter out much faster than this one! Steel Mag's is over, and school isn't as bad, so hopefully I will have more time. **

**On the plus side, my story got featured on a blog this week! Hooray! That made me feel cool! One blog down, 99 billion more to go. Then, one day, I will get featured on hisgoldeneyes, fanfiction Friday! It will happen. It WILL. **

**Disclaimer: I'm not Stephenie Meyer, and I don't own the characters. I do own a bag of Jelly Beans, however. Oh, no. Not any more. I just ate the last one. It's in my belly now. Does that mean I still own it? Hmm... Things to ponder. **

**Now, on to the story!**

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BPOV  
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I shifted the stack of pictures in my hands, gently thumbing through each one. As I looked at the glossy photos, my dead heart ached. With each picture, a memory came rushing back. Not full, fleshed out stories; just little flashes.

_Edward and I in class together and writing silly notes to each other. It was unusually cold that day. He had loaned me his jacket...  
_

_Edward and I sitting at lunch, and me teasing him about eating. I kept trying to force him to eat part of a blueberry muffin._

_Edward and I going swimming in the river; he had insisted on slathering me down with SPF 50 sunscreen, several times. _

Edward and I, Edward and I, Edward and I… Every single picture had Edward and me together. Looking at these pictures, I could almost smell his lilac and honey scent swirling around me, as if frozen in time. But that couldn't be. Edward hadn't been here for months. Not since he had vanished.

I continued to glance through the pictures, unbearable sorrow building up in my chest. I let out a sob, and threw the pictures to the floor, crossing my arms in hurt and frustration.

This is what he had done with all my pictures when he left. He hid them under my floorboards, along with every other piece of memorabilia that proved our relationship had ever existed. He hid them under the _floorboards_.

What did this mean!? Did he WANT me to find them one day? Was he hoping that I would eventually stumble upon this box, and then discover that he still loved me, even though he had left?

Or, was he just a sick bastard, who left this stuff, just so he could feel as if he still had a claim over me?!

What. The. Hell.

This information was just too much to process! I was still suck in the denial stage, even though I had the proof that he had left my things, within my hands! I just couldn't grasp, or understand why he would do this! It was too uncharacteristic of him to forget anything, so I was sure it wasn't an accident. He would never make a mistake with something as important as this. But, at the same time, he had left! Why would he have wanted me to find this?

_He wouldn't have. _

_This must be a mistake. _

_But he wouldn't have made a mistake! Not one as large as this!_

I put my head in my hands, and massaged my temple. This was too confusing. In the matter of week, my already topsy-turvy world had been turned upside-down. Everything supernatural that I had grown used to had slapped me in the face and yelled "HAH! That's just what you thought! But you were wrong!" Would nothing be stable again? Was I never to have even the slightest chance of a semi-normal life?

I lost my train of thought, as I heard Jacob clomping up the stairs.

_Apparently not. _

"Bella?" He whispered, knocking lightly on the door. "Can I come in? Listen…" He shifted his weight from one foot, to the other, in what I can only guess was anxiety. "I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have messed with your stuff. Listen… I called my dad. He said that he and Charlie went fishing last night, and your dad just crashed at my place. He's coming home in a little while, so we had better get out of here. Bells? Are you okay? Can I come in?"

I exhaled, and closed my eyes. I had better hurry up and pack if Charlie was going to get here. I would have to try to comprehend this exasperating situation, at a later date. There wasn't time now.

"Sure." I muttered, my brow furrowing. It wasn't until I had nearly completed saying 'sure' that I realized I had neglected to put the box back under the floor-boards. The pictures were still strewn across the floor around me. I squeaked, and tried to shove all the incriminating evidence back into the box, but it was too late. Jake had already opened the door, and had seen me trying to dispose of the pictures. I froze, my face stuck in a look of sheer panic.

"Bella… What are you doing?" Jake asked confusedly. His eyebrows scrunched together, and he hesitantly walked to where I was sitting. "What is all this crap?" My stomach dropped as he picked up a photo from the floor, scrutinizing the tiny piece of paper. His wide, brown eyes widened in recognition, and he turned to look balefully at me.

"You kept all this stuff?" He whispered, holding up the picture of Edward and me for emphasis.

"No Jake, I-" I began to say.

"Then why do you have it?! I thought you said that _He _got rid of all your stuff. Why did you lie to me?" Even though he was still whispering, there was an angry edge to his tone.

"I didn't lie! I-"

"Then why is it still here?! Answer me, Bella!"

"That's what I'm trying to do, you moron!" I laughed, half angry, and half amused. "I don't know how this crap got here. I am just as surprised as you are. I heard this weird noise from under the floor, so I pulled up the boards. Then I found this box," I pointed to the box, "and when I opened it, all the stuff that Edward said he'd gotten rid of was there. I don't know why the hell he left it. I'm pretty pissed about it, actually."

"Oh." Jake grunted, plopping down on the floor next to me. He sifted through the various pictures, looking at them with distaste.

"What are you, a masochist?" I grumbled, pulling them out of his grasp, and attempting to shove them back into the box.

"So… Let me get this straight." Jake interrupted, as I tried to pry one last picture from his grasp "The Leech leaves you, and promises to make sure that there's nothing of him left. Then he steals your pictures, and makes you think he threw them away, when, in _reality_, he just hid them under your floorboards, where you could have stumbled upon them any old time. Does that about cover it?"

"Yeah. Pretty much." I sighed, running my fingers through my hair.

"What a dick."

I snorted in laughter, but part of my heart ached to defend Edward. Even though it seemed as if he were set out to torture me for eternity, part of me would always love him. Even after the horrible things he had put me through. Not that I should have been surprised; I was boring old Bella Swan after all. I was surprised I had been able to hold him as long as I had. The only thing that had changed was that now I was boring old _vampire _Bella Swan. I was a vampire. How odd. I doubted if I'd ever get used to it. I seemed made for this life, and yet… something felt so wrong. I could feel there was something out of place.

"Bells!" Jake snapped his fingers in front of my face, giving me a quizzical look.

"Oh. Sorry. I was just thinking…" I muttered, shaking my head to clear my mind.

"I was asking you what you wanted me to do with this stuff." Jake held up the picture still in his hand. He held it very gingerly, as if he was afraid it might contaminate him.

"Um… Just… Put it back in the box, I guess." I stammered, taken off guard. What _did _I want to do with this stuff? I couldn't just leave it here; I couldn't pretend I had never found this box. But, at the same time, I didn't want to take it with me… What kind of a creepy, psycho, ex-girlfriend would I be then?! Carrying around a box of pictures of you and your ex... Crazy. I would never do that.

But… I didn't want to leave it. It was part of me; part of my history. In a way, I think I wanted to take something, just so I could confirm that Edward and I, at one point, were real. Even though it had been less than a year since they left, after living in a fog for months, then having all of my human memories washed away when I became a vampire, it seemed like a hundred years ago. I think I just wanted something to prove to myself that he had existed at all. If I left this box, I would never be able to come back for it. It was too dangerous

Maybe I could take one… Just one.

"Um, just put everything in the box." I repeated, glancing over the pile, attempting to find the one picture I wanted. It had to be here somewhere.

"Wait!" I interrupted, my eyes locking on my target. I pulled it out by the edge, gently unfolding it where it was creased down the center. It was the picture of me and Edward, at my birthday party. It was the last happy moment I had with Edward.

Jake glanced at me, raising his eyebrows.

"What are you doing?" He asked, his eyes following my hands as I placed the picture in my shirt pocket.

"Er… I'm just going to, uh…" I knew that if I had been a human, I would have been beet red by this point. Why was I such a bitch to Jake? Was my one goal in life to make him miserable? If so, I seemed to be doing a pretty damn good job.

"You're going to keep it?" His voice grew quieter.

"I just can't leave it behind. I'm sorry Jake…" I whispered, unable to meet his eyes.

"I-" Jake began to say, before the rumble of a car pulling into the driveway cut him off. Both of our heads snapped up, and Jake dashed over to the window. He glanced outside, then turned back to me quickly, panic written all over his face.

"Shit." He mumbled, shoving the box back under the floor, and forcing the plank back into place.

"Jake, what's wrong? Who is it?" I asked, anxiously. Jake grabbed my hand, and started to pull me towards the door.

"Bella, it's your dad. Charlie's back. We have to go."

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**End notes: Ooooooh! Charlie is back! What will happen next? Will Bella go? Or will she stay, and kill her father?! *gasp* Only time will tell... Hopefully not as much time as it took to get this chapter up... *blushes***


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hello, my darlings! We are back, and getting down to business. Not much news on my end, except that this story is almost to 100 reviews! It's so close, I can taste it... So, after you read this terribly exciting new chapter, review! **

**Disclaimer: Don't own Twilight. Except on Blu-Ray. I also own New Moon on Blu-Ray. You guys are lucky I even left my living room this week! **

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**BPOV**

"What?!" I gasped as Jake dragged me to the window, checking to make sure that Charlie was out of sight. When he saw that the cost was clear, he motioned for me to jump out the window. I ripped my hand from Jake's grasp, wheeling on him in astonishment.

"What do you mean Charlie's back? I thought you said he was at your dad's house!"

"He was," Jake spit out, trying to get me to jump out the window. "But he's back now. We have to go! Charlie can't see you like this! It would kill him!"

_Charlie's here? Now? In this house, at this very moment?... And he wants me to leave?_

"No." I said, surprising even myself.

_Did I really just say that?_

I shouldn't want to stay. I should want to run away and protect Charlie. I could kill him! Even if he didn't notice my strange appearance, he would want to know where I was, and why I had disappeared for a week. I couldn't actually tell him any of that. I should want to run away, and forget what Charlie looked like. I should want to make it easier to forget him. I should want to make it easier on myself to be immortal. I should leave now.

And yet, I couldn't.

The urge to protect Charlie was overpowered by my burning desire to see my father. This might be my last chance! How could I live for the rest of eternity, knowing I threw away my last chance to see my father? I needed to see him. I needed to say good-bye. I needed some closure.

"Are you crazy?!" Jake gasped, stopping in his tracks to gape at me. "What's the matter with you? Charlie's going to want to know where you were! He's going to ask questions; Questions that you can't answer!"

"I don't know!" I yelled at Jake, backing away from him like a petulant child. Why did this matter? Maybe he wouldn't ask any questions! Maybe I didn't even have to worry about it! Even if he did ask, I could fabricate a story; I got kidnapped by someone, but I escaped. Something like that… It… It didn't matter. One way or the other, I needed to see my daddy one last time. Why didn't Jake understand this?

"Bells, even if he doesn't ask questions, you could still kill him! Don't you remember what you are now?"

_Don't I _remember? _Of course I remember! How could I forget?! But I have to see Charlie. I can't throw this chance away; It's too precious. _

"Come on Jake, I just want to see him one more time." I put my hand on his arm, looking up at him pleadingly. "Please Jake, I _need_ to see him one last time."

Jake huffed out a short breath, and looked down at me with horrified eyes.

"No." He spat out, shocked I would even ask for such a thing.

Why was he doing this?! Why couldn't I see my own father?

_Why am I even asking for his permission?!_

It wasn't any of his damn business if I wanted to my father! It was _my _father! I could feel my rampant New-Born emotions begin to take control of me, but I didn't care. I wanted to see my father, damn it. Couldn't I finally have this one thing? Couldn't I finally get what I wanted?!

For years I had been doing what other people wanted; first with my mother, then with Charlie, then with Edward, then with Jake. I was just a lump of clay, ready to be molded into whoever they needed me to be. I had been a filler; only focused on what they wanted. I was a brainless, personality-less, ditz, who could be turned into the Bella they wanted.

_Oh my god. _ I thought, my fists clenching at the realization that I had been so focused everyone else, I didn't even know who I was.

_Sometimes I was Edward's Bella, sometimes I was Jake's Bella. But who am I really? Who am I without Edward or Jake? Who am I?_

"Bella, this is stupid. We have to leave, right now." Jake grabbed my hand again, scolding me as if I were a child. I looked at him in wonder, fury bubbling up in me like lava. What right did he have to treat me like this?! He didn't. I wouldn't be _Edward's Bella, _or _Jake's Bella_ any more. I was just Bella. Me. Myself. No one else.

As I sorted through my identity crisis, I noticed Jake glaring down at me, a disgusting look of reproach plastered all over his smug face. He pulled on my arm, trying to get me to leave with him, peaceably.

_He really does think he's better than I am. He thinks he's my parent._

Although I knew that I was acting like one, his treatment of me only fueled my anger.

Again I pulled away from his grasp, my anger flaring dangerously. Who was he to tell me what to do? He couldn't tell me what to do! In the first place, I was older than him. I deserved seniority! In the second place, it wasn't his business what I did. And in the third place, I, for once, was stronger than he was. He couldn't make me do anything that I didn't want to.

"No." I stood my ground, growling low in my chest. I looked up at him with fierce determination, clenching my fists so tightly, that my nails began to dig into my rock solid skin.

"What?" Jake leaned back on his heels, and let out a frustrated breath. "You are being ridiculous, Bella. I won't let you put Charlie in danger."

"You won't… _let _me?" I growled, my anger threatening to boil over. "It's none of your damn business. He's my father, and I can see him if. I . Want. To." My voice grew quieter, and quieter, and became an icy whisper.

"No, I won't let you be this stupid. Come on, we have to leave." Jake stepped forward, motioning for me to come with him.

In that moment, something inside of me snapped. I snarled at Jake, my fury controlling my actions. I fell into a defensive crouch, waiting for him to dare to move towards me. If he thought I was going without a fight, he was sorely mistaken.

Jake snorted in indignation, and began to step forward once again. Before his foot touched the ground, I had sprung at him, tackling him to the floor. Jake was caught by surprise, allowing himself to wrestled to the ground. Half a second later, when Jake realized what had happened, he threw me off, throwing me onto my bed. I was stronger than he was, but I didn't know how to fight like he did.

I dove at Jake again, trying to pin him to the floor. I needed to force him outside, so I could have time to see Charlie. Then, even if Jake got back in, it would be too late. Charlie would already have seen me, and Jake wouldn't be able to do anything about it. Jake wrestled against my hands, twisting out of my grip.

"What the hell, Bella!? What are you doing?" He yelled, backing away from me.

"Jake, I have to see my father. I _have _to say good-bye!"

"But you're going to kill him!" Jake and I circled each other, each trying to gain the upper hand.

"No. No, I can't kill my own father."

"Yes. You will. How are you going to live with that?"

"Jacob," I pleaded, looking for any weak point in his stance. "If you knew that you weren't ever going to be able to see Billy again, and you knew that he was going to think you had been murdered if you didn't tell him you were still alive, what would you do? Would you be able to walk away, and never speak to him again? Would you be able to pretend he had never existed? Could you let your own father think that you had been brutally murdered, even though you were secretly alive?"

Jacob paused, considering my question, for a tenth of a second.

"Well," Jacob exclaimed, beginning to circle me once more. "I wouldn't lead Billy to his death, like you. I care about my father too much."

That did it. I sprang at Jake, my vision tinted with red.

_How DARE he say I don't love Charlie! _

We tumbled around the room, wheeling through the air; each of us trying to get the other out the window. I darted out of Jacob's grasp, and leaped backwards onto my bed. I wheeled around, so quickly, that I must have been nearly invisible with speed, and I pounced at Jacob. I grabbed his arms, and flung him over my shoulder, dragging him towards the window. Jacob squirmed, trying to get out of my grasp, but I held firm; I would not let him get the best of me, and I would see Charlie. Nothing could stop me.

Jake's right hand broke free, and he let out a whoop of exultation, but his celebration was short lived. I seized his hand, and using it as momentum, swung Jake around me, and shoved him out the window in one fell swoop.

I felt a grim satisfaction as I heard his body "thud" on the grass below. It wouldn't kill him, I knew, but it might at least wind him long enough for me to find Charlie. I chuckled to myself, and began to close the window. But, before I could go any farther, I heard a quiet gasp behind me. Suddenly, the sweet scent of human blood overwhelmed me, and I wheeled to find myself facing a pair of very familiar brown eyes.

"Bella?" He gasped, his gun dropping to the floor.

It was Charlie. This time, it actually was him. And he had just seen me throw Jacob out a second story window.

_Shit!_

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**Awwwww, dang. Charlie's here! And it actually IS him this time! **

**You know, I just realized, every single chapter I've written ends with a cliff-hanger. How odd. I wonder why that is...  
**


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